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Sentences Upheld for 'Police Impersonators' in Gambling Den Robbery Attempt
🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Sentences Upheld for 'Police Impersonators' in Gambling Den Robbery Attempt

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Three individuals received prison sentences in an appeals trial for attempting to rob a gambling den.
  • The group had posed as police officers to threaten and rob gamblers.
  • The court upheld the original sentences, citing the severity of the crime despite some victim agreements.

An appeals court has upheld prison sentences for three individuals who attempted to rob a gambling den by impersonating police officers. The Daejeon High Court's Criminal Division 1-3 sentenced the main defendant, identified as A (24), to 7 years and 6 months in prison, the same sentence handed down in the first trial. Accomplices B (18) and C (32) also received sentences mirroring the initial ruling: long-term imprisonment of 3 years and short-term imprisonment of 2 years for B, and 3 years and 6 months for C.

We cannot reduce the sentence any further.

— The CourtThe court's reasoning for upholding the sentences despite victim agreements.

The court stated that while some victims did not wish to pursue punishment after reaching agreements, the sentences could not be further reduced. It deemed the original sentences to be within a reasonable range, rejecting the defendants' appeals.

The incident occurred around 12:16 a.m. on May 17 of the previous year, when A, along with B and C, entered an office in Dong-gu, Daejeon. They threatened four individuals engaged in gambling with tools like crowbars, attempting to steal their money. The group falsely announced themselves as police officers during the raid. When they found only about 200,000 won (approximately $150 USD) in cash, they threatened the gamblers further, demanding to know where larger sums were kept and holding them captive for about 40 minutes. They also broke CCTV equipment during their escape when actual police arrived.

The original sentence was made within a reasonable range, so we cannot accept the defendants' claims.

— The CourtThe court's justification for rejecting the appeals.

Investigators determined that A learned about the gambling location while working as a delivery driver and recruited B, his junior acquaintance, and C, his girlfriend, for the crime. The first trial court had previously stated that the defendants conspired to steal money from gambling dens in the Daejeon area and inflicted injuries on victims, making their culpability very high.

The defendants conspired to rob gambling dens in the Daejeon area and inflicted injuries on victims, making their culpability very high.

— The first trial courtThe initial assessment of the defendants' criminal actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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