▲ An undated image of a page from a police investigation report, captured from Yonhap News TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution has handed down a severe sentence to Yoon Hyuk (39), a former member of the group 'December,' on charges of fraud amounting to 1.7 billion won.

 

According to legal sources on the 4th, the Incheon District Court's 15th Criminal Division sentenced Yoon, who was indicted on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, to 10 years in prison during the deliberation trial held on the 2nd.

 

The prosecution stated, "Considering that there are about 20 victims and the amount of damage is as high as 1.7 billion won," adding, "The fact that the defendant denied some of the charges was also taken into account" in explaining the reason for the sentence.

 

Yoon was accused of persuading around 20 acquaintances to invest from August 2021 to May last year, collecting a total of 1.7 billion won from them.

 

He reportedly induced investments by promising a 30% return on the principal within 2 to 3 weeks, claiming to be engaged in a cosmetics distribution business in China.

 

Yoon was previously indicted on charges of fraud amounting to 800 million won in June last year, and additional fraud charges related to seven other cases were confirmed before being referred to trial.

 

The court handling the arrest case subsequently consolidated all of Yoon's fraud cases for trial.

 

The sentencing trial for Yoon is scheduled to take place on the 23rd of next month at Incheon District Court 324.

 

He has a previous record of being investigated by the police without detention in 2017 for driving under the influence while his license was already revoked.

 

December debuted as a male duo in 2009 and received awards such as the KBS Song Festival's Artist of the Year in 2010. Yoon had been active as a solo singer since 2019.

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