TechFlow, Dec 23 — According to Dlnews, a South Korean man who laundered $68,000 in cryptocurrency for a vishing gang has had his sentence increased on appeal. Initially sentenced by a district court to two and a half years in prison with a four-year suspended sentence, the man appealed to Suwon High Court seeking leniency, only to have his suspended sentence revoked and receive a direct four-year prison term instead.
The court ruled that the defendant was not merely a participant but played a "key role" in the vishing operation, having referred to himself as the "manager" and received daily operational reports from the group. Members of the gang impersonated prosecutors, warned victims their identities had been stolen, and tricked them into transferring funds to so-called "secure" accounts, which were then converted into cryptocurrency and sent to overseas addresses.
The court emphasized that the defendant had prior convictions and failed to learn from them, stating he "is highly likely to commit similar crimes again," thus warranting a harsher punishment. Under South Korean law, the defendant may still appeal to the Supreme Court.
