Man Sentenced to Prison for Extorting Settlements by Posing as Woman and Swindling Fellow Soldiers

A man in his 20s has been sentenced to prison for swindling fellow soldiers while serving in the military and extorting settlement money by impersonating a minor on a chatting application.

Judge Kim Ki-ho of Incheon District Court Criminal Division 9 announced that 22-year-old A, who was indicted on charges including fraud, attempted coercion, and insubordination, has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

A, who enlisted in May 2024, was indicted on charges of swindling approximately 4.8 million won from four fellow soldiers between January and November of last year.

After bumping into a peer in the barracks and getting hurt, he lied by saying, "My medical treatment cost 600,000 won, and the battery commander told us to resolve this quietly between ourselves," thus taking the money.

From a victim who had trained with him at a military discipline education center, he even extorted money under the guise of a settlement by threatening, "I will report that you touched my body."

Investigations revealed that he also assaulted a junior soldier 20 to 30 times by throwing a foam roller and pens at him on the grounds that he snored.

A was also indicted on charges of extorting 6.9 million won in settlement money around the time of his discharge by posing as a woman on chatting apps and threatening men.

Investigations showed that he induced men to send photos of their bodies and then threatened them, saying, "You sent these photos to my minor younger sister, so I will report you to the police."

Judge Kim explained, "Considering the methods, contents, and scale of the damages of each crime, the nature of the offenses is quite severe," adding, "The defendant has past records of being punished for similar attempted blackmail and fraud offenses."

However, the judge stated the reasons for sentencing as follows: "Taking into account that the defendant admits to all crimes and is reflecting on them, and that he has reached settlements with three victims who do not wish for his punishment," adding, "He is not taken into legal custody to provide an opportunity for settlements."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.