Housekeeper in 60s Receives Suspended Prison Sentence for Stealing Tens of Millions of Won Worth of Luxury Goods, Including Chanel

A housekeeper who stole tens of millions of won worth of luxury items, including Chanel and Gucci, from a home where she had worked for 10 years has been given a suspended prison sentence.

According to legal circles on July 31, the Seoul Eastern District Court recently sentenced a woman in her 60s, identified as A, to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered her to perform 80 hours of community service on charges of theft.

A is accused of stealing luxury goods worth 20.8 million won—including an 8 million won Chanel handbag, a 4 million won Balenciaga dress, and a 2.3 million won pair of Chanel shoes—while working as a housekeeper at a home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, in April of last year when the homeowner was away.

A was indicted on charges of stealing a total of 78.1 million won worth of items across five instances using a similar method up until January 15 of this year.

A is also facing charges of stealing 11.7 million won worth of property over 39 instances from November 2020 to January of this year at another household where she had worked as a housekeeper for 10 years.

The court stated its sentencing reasoning, saying, "She repeatedly stole items while working as a housekeeper. The value of the stolen goods is substantial, making her culpability heavy, and the victim is petitioning for strict punishment."

However, the court took into favorable consideration the fact that A admitted to her crimes, returned all the stolen items to the victims, and has no prior criminal record.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.