1. Case Overview and Issues
The client was deceived by a female suspect who claimed to be conducting a business from around 2017 to 2019. As a result, the client lost his entire fortune and even borrowed money from acquaintances to provide funds to the suspect, suffering a total financial loss of approximately KRW 10 billion.
The suspect deceived the client by presenting various false justifications such as: "I need compensation funds for exports to China", "I must pay tax audit penalties", "I need to pay employees’ salaries", and "I need funds for exports to Japan." The suspect borrowed money under these pretexts and returned it periodically, creating an illusion of legitimate business operations, which led the client to mistakenly believe that the suspect was managing a real enterprise.
In an effort to raise funds for the suspect's supposed business, the client lied to acquaintances, which ultimately led to a conviction and a confirmed prison sentence of five years. At the time, the client was unrepresented by legal counsel and appeared to have received an unduly harsh sentence due to inadequate defense.
As the execution of the sentence approached, the client visited us, known for exceptional capabilities in criminal defense, requesting assistance in ensuring the suspect’s arrest and recovering the losses.
2. Our Arguments and Role
Upon quickly reviewing the facts of the complaint, we launched an active defense strategy and emphasized to the investigators that the suspect had forged numerous documents—including commercial invoices, bills of lading, bankbook copies, and balance certificates—as part of her fraudulent scheme. We urged the investigation team to expedite the case.
Despite the case involving fraud worth tens of billions of Korean won, the investigation had been stagnant for several years, led only by a prosecutor without the involvement of senior prosecutors or the district chief. However, our proactive advocacy revealed the full extent of the victim's injustice, prompting the investigative authorities to consolidate related cases and expedite the investigation process.
As the suspect's arrest warrant was being considered, we submitted petitions from the client's family, highlighting their total financial ruin and difficult circumstances, which contributed to the court's decision to issue the warrant.
3. Result and Significance
Facing imminent imprisonment, the client turned to us for help, and thanks to a swift and strategic response, the suspect—who had consistently denied the allegations—was promptly arrested.
We are now actively exploring avenues for recovering the client's losses, including through engagement with the suspect's legal counsel. The goal is to restore the lives of the client and his family, who have suffered immense financial and emotional hardship.
