adminMufandanya (37) broke into a house at Rhino Motel at Lundi Business Centre in Mwenezi and stole US$31 000.
His lavish lifestyle ended prematurely after he was arrested last week while booked at a Kwekwe Hotel.
Mufandanya of Mutsava Village under Chief Nyakunhuwa was sentenced to 18 years in jail after he admitted to unlawful entry and theft charges when he appeared before Masvingo magistrate Mr
Makamera Wine. Three years of the sentence were suspended on condition he restitutes Mr Gavin Wilson, the owner of Rhino Motel, US$14 700 by February next year.
Charges against Mufandanya arose on October 22 this year, when he went to Rhino Motel at around 11 pm.
Mr Wilson had US$31 000 cash in his house at the motel after collecting his weekly sales from his businesses at Buffalo Range Airport in Chiredzi.
He put the small bag containing the cash on his coffee table before he fell asleep while seated on a sofa.
At around 3am, Mufandanya broke one of the windows into the room where Mr Wilson was sleeping and stole the bag with the cash and disappeared.
When Mr Wilson woke up later at 7am he discovered that his cash was gone and made a report to police.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Mufandanya while booked at a Kwekwe Hotel where he was lavishly spending his ill-gotten wealth on booze.
Police managed to recover US$16 300 from him and some invoices from several hotels and lodges where he had booked during his drinking spree across the country.
Mr Frank Chirairo prosecuted.
Online Reporter