'Mixed Martial Arts Champion' Ringleader of Burner Phone Fraud Ring Has Sentence Reduced to 4 Years and 6 Months on Appeal

[Financial News] The ringleader of a burner phone fraud ring, who lured people in urgent need of cash, seized their mobile phones, and profited illegally, had his sentence reduced to four years and six months in prison on appeal.
According to the legal community on the 9th, the Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Appellate Division 1-1 (Presiding Judges Kim Tae-kyun, Won Jeongsuk, and Yoon Ung-gi) overturned the original five-year sentence given to Mr. Park (29), who was indicted on charges including organizing a criminal group and fraud, and instead sentenced him to four years and six months in prison.
The Prosecution Service's request for the forfeiture of 1,497,415,935 won was dismissed on the grounds that the actual amount of illicit gains from the crime could not be specifically determined.
The court stated, 'This crime involved defrauding approximately 360 victims of mobile phones and SIM cards worth about 1.5 billion won.' They emphasized, 'The offense is extremely serious, and most of the damages have not been recovered.'
However, the court took into consideration several favorable factors for Mr. Park: he reached settlements with 113 victims during the first trial and with additional victims during the appeal, he has been diligently attending university after his release, and his peers submitted petitions on his behalf.
Mr. Park and his associates were brought to trial on charges of receiving about 900 mobile phones and approximately 1,200 SIM cards from over 360 victims in urgent need of loans between November 2020 and March 2021, and using micro-payment services to obtain nearly 1.5 billion won.
They posted online advertisements targeting people with low credit scores, claiming that a new mobile phone contract would make them eligible for loans. Investigations revealed that victims, believing they would receive loans, activated phones in their own names and handed them over to Mr. Park's organization.
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter