Man in His 20s Gets 20 Years for Stealing 10 Billion KRW from Wealthy Parents by Pretending to Date Their Daughter

"The Damage Is Substantial,
Victims' Dignity and Lives Destroyed and Devastated"

A man in his twenties has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing 10 billion won (approximately 100 billion KRW) from the wealthy parents of a woman of similar age, whom he psychologically manipulated (gaslighting) under the pretense of a romantic relationship, and for hiding most of the stolen assets.

According to a report by Yonhap News on July 16, the 11th Criminal Division of the Daegu District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Youngcheol) sentenced defendant A, a man in his twenties, to 20 years in prison on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. He was accused of deceiving a woman of similar age by pretending to date her and stealing approximately 10 billion won (100 billion KRW) in cash and other assets from her parents. The court also sentenced accomplice B, also in his twenties, to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence for charges of violating the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds, for keeping part of the stolen cash.

From November 2023 to March of this year, over a period of about 17 months, A approached C, a woman in her twenties, and pretended to be in a relationship with her. He then stole 10 billion won (100 billion KRW) in cash and assets that C's wealthy parents kept at home and in their bank accounts. It was revealed that A repeatedly gaslighted C to siphon off her parents' assets.

Of the stolen money, A converted approximately 7 billion won (70 billion KRW) into gift certificates, which are difficult to trace, and then resold them to individual gift certificate dealers to convert them back into cash, thereby hiding the funds. Investigations found that part of the money was handed over to B.

During the investigation, prosecutors seized approximately 2.9 billion won (29 billion KRW) in cash and gift certificates, as well as luxury watches and bags, to help facilitate actual recovery for the victims.

The court explained its sentencing by stating, "The amount of damage is substantial, and this was not a typical fraud. The crime not only undermined the victims' economic foundation but also destroyed and devastated them personally."

At the sentencing hearing held last month, prosecutors requested a 30-year prison sentence for A, stating, "The actual damage amounts to about 10 billion won (100 billion KRW), the harm is severe, and except for the confiscated items, there has been no restitution." The victims' legal representative also pleaded for the maximum sentence, arguing, "The defendant has shown no intention of making restitution, and intends to live in luxury with more than 7 billion won (70 billion KRW) in concealed criminal proceeds after receiving a reduced sentence."