A 20-year-old man who repeatedly purchased and consumed drugs has been sentenced to imprisonment by the court.
Despite receiving leniency twice in the past, the man committed drug offenses again and was ultimately sentenced to prison.
The Jeonju District Court’s 12th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Kim Do-hyung) announced on the 20th that they sentenced Mr. A (21), who was arrested and indicted for violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics, to two years and six months in prison.
Mr. A is accused of purchasing and using methamphetamine and synthetic cannabis several times in the Seoul and Incheon areas from November 2024 to March this year.
He purchased methamphetamine and synthetic cannabis multiple times.
He purchased drugs via Telegram and used them with acquaintances.
The court recognized a total of eight counts of crimes committed by Mr. A.
According to the investigation, Mr. A bought narcotics from an unidentified dealer that he met through the Telegram messenger, and then consumed or smoked them with acquaintances.
Moreover, Mr. A also distributed the narcotics he purchased to others for free.
The total amount of narcotics purchased by Mr. A was assessed to be worth approximately 2.2 million won, including 1g of methamphetamine and 20ml of synthetic cannabis. This amount exceeds personal use and poses a risk of drug proliferation.
Reoffending despite two suspensions of prosecution.
Notably, Mr. A's drug offenses are not his first.
The investigation revealed that Mr. A had received two suspensions of prosecution for similar crimes in August and November of the same year.
A suspension of prosecution is a decision made when criminal charges are recognized but the prosecutor, considering various circumstances, chooses not to file charges, which is essentially a form of leniency.
The court acknowledged that "the defendant admitted to all crimes and cooperated with the investigation, which is a favorable circumstance." However, they stated that "considering that he committed offenses again without reflecting on himself after receiving leniency for similar crimes twice and continued to commit offenses while under investigation, a prison sentence is inevitable," and imposed a sentence of two years and six months in prison.
This case exemplifies the court's stern stance on drug-related crimes and serves as a reminder of the seriousness of drug recidivism and addiction.
Image source: Material photo to aid understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank
