'Embezzlement of 1.4 Trillion Won via Ghost Corporations'... Nationwide Largest 'Daepo Bank Account' Distribution Organizer Sentenced to Prison

Cyber Gambling, Internet Goods Fraud, and Various Crime Damage Funds Embezzlement

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The court sentenced members of the largest nationwide organization distributing "daepo" bank accounts, through which over 1.4 trillion won in criminal proceeds flowed.

The Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 1 (Judge Jang Tae-young) announced on the 20th that it sentenced A (32) and B (25), who were indicted on charges including membership in a criminal organization, to 2 years and 10 months and 2 years and 8 months in prison, respectively.

In the verdict, the court stated, "They disrupted financial order and destroyed the safety and reliability of electronic financial transactions," adding, "The social harm is severe, and since these crimes can serve as the foundation for subsequent crimes related to phone fraud or illegal gambling sites, the blameworthiness is significant."

It further explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "To eradicate criminal organizations with hierarchical structures, strict punishment is necessary even for mid-level managers and lower-ranking members."

The court also sentenced C (25), who was responsible for establishing corporations and selling bank accounts, to 2 years in prison, and D (25), who had a lesser role in opening accounts, to 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation.

A and others were indicted for participating in the sale of daepo bank accounts to criminal organizations involved in overseas phone fraud and cyber gambling over six years starting from 2015.

The amount of criminal proceeds that flowed into the daepo bank accounts reached 1.47 trillion won, making it the largest single organization nationwide.

Investigations revealed that these organizations established about 150 shell corporations to supply daepo bank accounts and used 320 such accounts in their crimes.

In particular, to evade investigation, they created codes of conduct such as "Communicate only through individually assigned burner phones," "Park cars far from the office and watch the surroundings when entering," and "If caught, mention a fictitious person and do not reveal accomplices' names."

Meanwhile, the ringleader who led the crimes is currently on trial with other accomplices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.