ChainCatcher reports that, according to Dlnews, a South Korean man who used cryptocurrency to launder $68,000 for a voice phishing gang had his sentence increased by the court when he appealed for a reduction.
The man originally received a sentence of two and a half years in prison but with a four-year probation from a district court. Dissatisfied with the verdict, he appealed to the Suwon High Court, only to have his probation revoked and be directly sentenced to four years in prison. The court deemed the defendant not merely a participant but a “key player” in the voice phishing gang, having claimed to be the “person in charge” and receiving daily operational reports from the gang.
Gang members impersonated prosecutors, warning victims that their identities had been stolen and inducing them to transfer funds to “secure” accounts. The funds were then converted into cryptocurrency and sent to addresses abroad. The court noted that the defendant had a prior criminal record and failed to learn from it, making it “highly likely he would commit similar crimes again,” thus warranting a severe punishment. Under South Korean law, the defendant can still appeal to the Supreme Court.
