A 20-something couple who lived by theft and fraud after losing their jobs received a suspended sentence from the court.
Rather than seeking new employment after becoming unemployed, the couple opted for crime. The judge Choichibong of the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court sentenced Mr. A to 10 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, after he was indicted on charges of theft, special theft, and fraud.
His girlfriend, Ms. B, faced additional charges of violating the National Health Insurance Act and the Resident Registration Act, and was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison, with a 2-year suspension.
From September to October of last year, they stole groceries and packages while roaming unmanned sales outlets and apartment complexes in the Hopyeong-dong area of Namyangju.
The total value of the stolen items amounted to 680,000 won, which included groceries worth 54,100 won, such as smoked duck. They also stole about 100,000 won worth of items including dog potty pads and dog food from a pet supplies unmanned store.
Their crimes did not stop there. They selected and stole packages delivered to others and deceived people on second-hand trading apps by claiming to sell mobile gift certificates, stealing 160,000 won in total.
The stolen packages included various food items such as short ribs, bone soup, and Shine Muscat grapes, along with cosmetics and kitchen detergent.
In addition to theft, Ms. B was found to have misused another person's resident registration number to receive medical treatment and prescriptions, unlawfully obtaining insurance payments. She committed these acts a total of 14 times between March and July of last year.
The court stated, "Stealing others' belongings or defrauding money repeatedly over a short period of time is not a minor offense," but noted that "there are some mitigating circumstances in Mr. A's motivation for committing the crime out of necessity or for treatment."
Factors considered in the sentencing included the fact that the total amount of damages was not substantial, the couple reached settlements with some victims, deposited the compensation amount, and had the opportunity for reflection during their detention.
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