'Dongtan Jeonse Fraud' Landlord Couple Receive Finalized Prison Sentence of Three Years and Six Months

Supreme Court: "No Error in Lower Court's Judgment"... Appeal Dismissed
Real Estate Agent Couple Also Receives Finalized Prison Sentences

A landlord couple who were prosecuted for carrying out jeonse fraud in Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, have received a finalized prison sentence of three years and six months. From 2020 to 2023, the couple purchased 268 officetels using a zero-capital gap investment method and were tried on charges of defrauding 145 people of approximately 17 billion won in deposits.

On May 15, the Supreme Court's Third Division, presided over by Justice Lee Sukyeon, upheld the lower court's ruling, sentencing defendant A to seven years in prison and her husband to three years and six months for fraud. The Supreme Court stated, "There was no error in the lower court’s judgment regarding the establishment of fraud or the legal principles of joint offenders."

Both the first and second trial courts found the couple guilty of all charges. The first trial court sentenced the couple to 12 years and six years in prison, respectively, but the second trial court reduced the sentences, noting that a significant portion of the damages had been recovered. Prosecutors and the couple appealed, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, finding no issue with the second trial’s decision.

Meanwhile, a real estate agent couple, identified as B, who were prosecuted for participating in the crimes of A and her husband, also received finalized sentences of seven years and four years in prison, respectively.