Sentenced to 20 Years in First Trial
Operated Illegal Reading Rooms and Gambling Sites
Police Arrest 99 People Related to Rolls-Royce Man Case
The perpetrator in the so-called 'Apgujeong Rolls-Royce' case, who fatally struck a woman in her 20s while driving under the influence of drugs, is reportedly likely to receive a reduced sentence in the appellate trial. On the 3rd, the YouTube channel 'Caracully Media' reported that Shin, currently undergoing a second trial on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (hit-and-run injury), has been submitting letters of apology to the court about once a week recently.
Shin Mo, who is accused of causing an accident and injuring a pedestrian while driving under the influence of drugs, is seen leaving after completing the pre-arrest detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 11th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Shin submitted his first letter of apology to the appellate court on April 8, even before the formal trial began. Subsequently, he submitted letters on April 16, 23, and May 2, 9, and 17. Shin also submitted 15 letters of apology to the court during the first trial. However, it is reported that he has never actually sought forgiveness from the victim's family. At the first appellate hearing held on April 13 at the Seoul Central District Court, the victim's family stated, "How can we forgive a shameless criminal who has not once apologized or shown remorse?" and requested a heavy sentence.
Recently, however, Shin's defense attorney reportedly proposed a settlement to the victim's family. Shin newly appointed a former judge as his defense attorney for the appellate trial. The victim's brother, Mr. A, told Caracully in an interview, "We are scheduled to meet with the attorney handling the settlement on the perpetrator's side." When asked if the sentence would be reduced if a settlement is reached in the appellate trial, Mr. A replied, "Yes." He added, "Our condition for settlement was that he fully admit his guilt, and now he has admitted everything."
Mr. A also said, "From the beginning, we were willing to settle if he admitted his guilt. We did not settle because he did not admit it. Time has passed, so we decided with our family." However, Shin is also on trial separately for habitual drug use charges. If found guilty of these charges as well, even if Shin receives a reduced sentence in the appellate trial, he may serve a sentence similar to the first trial. Shin was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the first trial. The first trial court stated, "Even during the process of being arrested by the police as a suspect, he showed abnormal behavior such as laughing while seeing the victim moaning in pain," and "Considering his attitude after the crime, his conduct during the trial, and the nature of the crime, a heavy sentence is necessary."
'99 members of 20s and 30s criminal groups linked to the 'Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini men' arrested
Earlier, in August last year, Shin was driving a Rolls-Royce near Exit 4 of Apgujeong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, when he drove onto the sidewalk, injuring a woman in her 20s and fleeing without providing aid. The victim fell into a brain-dead state and died about four months later. At the time of the accident, suspicions arose that Shin and his acquaintances might have formed an illegal organization and committed crimes, along with evidence of drug use by Shin.
The police, while investigating the source of Mr. Shin's funds, uncovered an organization operating an illegal leading room that promised to manage overseas futures investments. They recruited 101 investors in the leading room and collected 2.1 billion won under the pretext of investment funds and other fees. [Photo by Seodongmin]
Accordingly, the police launched an investigation into Shin and the source of funds and criminal involvement of the so-called 'Lamborghini man,' arresting 99 members of illegal leading rooms and gambling site operation groups. Most of these individuals were confirmed to be in their 20s and 30s. On the 4th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit and Criminal Mobile Unit announced that they had uncovered 38 members of an illegal leading room gang that embezzled about 5.6 billion KRW through the 'Rolls-Royce drug driving' investigation. Additionally, 61 members of a gambling site operation group were arrested in connection with the 'Lamborghini weapon threat' investigation. The police have detained two of them, sent four for prosecution, and plan to prosecute the remaining members soon.
While investigating the source of Shin's funds, the police uncovered an organization operating an illegal leading room that promised to manage overseas futures investments. They recruited 101 investors in the leading room and collected 2.1 billion KRW under the pretext of investment funds. They also deceived investors by hacking electronic trading platforms, promising to recover losses from overseas futures trading, embezzling 340 million KRW, and defrauded about 3.2 billion KRW by luring with entrusted coin sales. The police applied charges including violation of the Capital Markets Act and fraud against them.
Furthermore, while investigating a Lamborghini driver who threatened another driver with a weapon over a parking dispute in September last year, the police uncovered an illegal gambling site, arresting 61 operators and detaining two ringleaders. They plan to arrest accomplices residing overseas through international cooperation and intend to charge the suspect who established the gambling space as a criminal organization under the Criminal Act.
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