Prosecutor "Original sentence too low...sentence to 6 years in prison"
Defendant's side "Admit the charges...apologize to the victims"
Money obtained by lying, spent on sports gambling, etc.
Sentenced to 3 years in prison for first-degree fraud...defrauded 570 million won
Prosecutors asked the court to sentence a former professional soccer player to six years in prison, the same as in the first trial, for defrauding lovers and fans of money he received by pretending to be a wealthy man and gambling on sports. The defendant admitted the charges but complained that the original sentence was too heavy.
The prosecution sought six years in prison for former soccer player Kim Mo, 38, at a hearing to determine fraud charges held at the Seoul Northern District Court's Criminal Matters Division 2 (Deputy Chief Judge Kang Young-hoon) at 10:40 a.m. on Oct. 12.
Previously, the prosecution had asked for six years in prison at the first trial on October 13 last year. Later, on October 20, the court sentenced Kim to three years in prison. Both Kim and the prosecution appealed the sentence, citing injustice.
"The defendant feels sorry for causing great damage to the victims through his own fault, and his mother, who is ill, has paid back the victims' settlement money for many months," said Kim's defense lawyer, adding, "In light of this, we request a lighter sentence than the original one."
Mr. Kim also admitted to all the charges against him and said, "I sincerely apologize to the victim and will live in remorse for the rest of my life. Please sentence me so that I can live once again as a father of two children."
Mr. Kim's sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on April 26.
Kim is accused of defrauding seven victims, including lovers and former fans, of more than 570 million won ($507,000) for hospital and business expenses between December 2019 and July 2022.
According to the prosecution's indictment, Kim committed the crimes by convincing his victims that he was a wealthy man who owned real estate worth billions of won, or that he knew current athletes and could make large profits in games that involved predicting the outcome of matches.
Kim, a former professional soccer player, was investigated to have lost his fortune by gambling on 'Sports Toto' while working as a day laborer after retiring in 2017.
He then approached his victims by joining various social and athletic groups through social networking services (SNS). In particular, Kim reportedly lied about his playing career, claiming to be a scout for a professional soccer team and owning expensive real estate.
After establishing romantic relationships with the victims, Kim tricked them into giving him money by telling them, "I need money to raise a child with a rare disease," or "My junior, the owner of a soccer center in Ilsan, borrowed money and made an extreme choice, and I need money to prevent foreclosure." He also told them, "Whenever I go to the bathroom, I feel blood. 카지노사이트가이드
"I bleed when I go to the bathroom. I have intestinal problems. I need money for surgery," or "I'm a former soccer player, so I know sports players. I have a volleyball game that I know how to win or lose, and if you lend me money, I will pay you interest."
In total, Kim defrauded seven victims of approximately $573.68 million on more than 130 occasions. He allegedly used the money to pay off his personal debts or to fund sports betting.
Meanwhile, Kim joined the Pohang Steelers, a professional soccer club, in 2004 and played for the Busan Transportation Corporation soccer team. He was also sentenced to three months in prison for fraud in June 2022.