Elderly Man Impersonates Lawyer, Defrauds Client of 30 Million Won, Sentenced to Jail

An elderly man in his 70s has been sentenced to prison for swindling a large sum of money by impersonating a lawyer and promising to help reinvestigate a death case. This highlights how actions taken by non-legal professionals on behalf of others can lead to significant harm. The Incheon District Court sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, to 1 year and 2 months in prison and ordered him to return 28.4 million won.

Mr. A is accused of taking 28.4 million won between 2010 and 2011 through his research institute, which he operated without being a lawyer. He allegedly took on victim B's case and collected the money under the pretext of expenses for legal consultation and other services. B, who had doubts about the investigation into his son's death at the time, sought Mr. A's help but ultimately fell victim to fraud.

Mr. A exploited B's situation, approaching him with promises to re-investigate the case and identify the perpetrator. Investigations revealed that Mr. A subsequently obtained B's credit card and used it more than 30 times at motels, gas stations, and restaurants, or received cash directly.

Mr. A had a prior conviction for similar charges in 2016, for which he received a prison sentence of 1 year and 4 months. During the trial, Mr. A argued that his actions constituted justifiable conduct under criminal law, but the court dismissed his claim as 'baseless speculation.' The court determined that the defendant's actions did not meet the criteria for justifiable conduct, and that no restitution had been made to the victim.