Baseball Player Oh Jae-won Receives Suspended Prison Sentence in 2nd Trial for Methamphetamine Possession Charges

Additional Indictment for Receiving Methamphetamine from an Acquaintance

Former professional baseball player and national team member Oh Jae-won (40), who was prosecuted for habitual drug use and other charges, was sentenced to a suspended prison term again in the second trial for methamphetamine possession.

On the 8th, the 9-3 Criminal Appeal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Jung Hye-won, Choi Bo-won, Ryu Chang-seong) sentenced Oh, who was indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances), to 4 months in prison with a 2-year suspension, the same as the first trial.

The court stated, "It should have been considered that this case could have been tried together with the methamphetamine use and other crimes for which a prison sentence was previously confirmed," and overturned the first trial's ruling but imposed the same sentence as the first trial.

Oh was prosecuted for using methamphetamine 11 times from November 2022 to November 2023, and for storing about 0.4g of methamphetamine in a fire hydrant in the hallway of an acquaintance's apartment in April last year. During the trial, he was additionally indicted in November 2023 for receiving about 0.2g of methamphetamine from an acquaintance.

Additionally, from January 2023 to March last year, he received 2,242 Stilnox tablets (a sleep inducer containing zolpidem, a psychotropic drug) from nine acquaintances 89 times, and is also charged with purchasing 20 Stilnox tablets using a false name. He is also accused of assaulting and threatening accomplice A, who tried to report the drug use to the police.

Regarding the 11 counts of methamphetamine use and other charges, he was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the second trial last December and is currently serving his sentence. Oh was separately indicted for proxy prescription of sleeping pills, received an additional 1 year and 6 months prison sentence in the first trial, appealed, and the second trial is currently underway.