[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] A family extortion gang, convicted for hacking and threatening actors such as Ha Jung-woo, has now been confirmed to have participated in laundering criminal funds for a Chinese voice phishing organization and was sentenced to prison in the first trial.
On the 16th, according to the legal community, Judge Joo Jin-am of Criminal Division 15 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim (32, female), who was indicted on charges of extortion and fraud, to three years in prison. Kim's older sister (35) was sentenced to one year and six months, and her sister's husband, Moon (41), was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
Under the instructions of a voice phishing organization that extorts money through methods such as body cam phishing and arranged meetings, they handled the transfer and exchange of money given by victims using their own bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts, then handed it over to the organization. The number of victims involved in the money laundering case reached 28, with damages amounting to 440 million won.
On this day, the court pointed out, "They were not merely simple cash collectors or couriers but actively participated in laundering criminal proceeds to transfer them abroad," and added, "The defendants denied some of the crimes, and there have been almost no substantial measures to recover the damages."
Meanwhile, Kim was indicted for conspiring with her husband to hack the mobile phones of celebrities including actors Ha Jung-woo and Joo Jin-mo, threatening to leak their personal information, and extorting money. She was sentenced to five years in prison in February.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
