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Fake BTS merchandise business owner receives suspended prison sentence

Added 2024-11-20 08:08:27 +0000 UTC

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-11-20/national/socialAffairs/Fake-BTS-merchandise-business-owner-receives-suspended-prison-sentence/2182170

A former BigHit Music employee was sentenced to a suspended prision term for committing fraud through a fake BTS fan merchandise business, according to the Gwangju District Court on Wednesday.

The court handed the 40-year-old defendant a two-year prison sentence, suspended for three years with 120 hours of community service.

The defendant was indicted in June, accused of lying about operating a BTS fan merchandise business and embezzling 576 million won ($413,794) over 17 counts.

"BTS members are releasing their own solos before going to mandatory military service so we are receiving investments for merchandise to give to their fans," the former BigHit employee allegedly told the plaintiff. "If you lend money, [I] will repay the full amount and also give [a share of] the profits."

The defendant used the illegally obtained money to repay personal debt.

"[The defendant] abused his title as a famous entertainment company's team leader to defraud people out of large sums of money. But taking into the fact that he reimbursed the plaintiff 600 million won, the court rules a suspended sentence," the court said.