Impersonated Sister-in-Law During Theft Investigation... Suspended Sentence for Woman in Her 40s

Busan Court Sentences Woman to Four Months in Prison, Suspended for Two Years
Presented Sister-in-Law's ID Photo Saved on Mobile Phone

A woman in her 40s who impersonated her sister-in-law during an investigation after being caught stealing has been given a suspended sentence.

According to Yonhap News on July 25, a single criminal judge at the Busan District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Minji) sentenced a woman in her 40s, identified as A, to four months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of theft, forging a private document, using a forged private document, and violating the Resident Registration Act.

Flag in front of Busan District Court. Photo by Yonhap News

A was put on trial for stealing 25 items worth 411,500 won from a store inside Busan Station in Dong-gu, Busan, on July 7, 2024, taking advantage of the store owner's momentary lack of attention by putting the merchandise into her bag. On the day of the crime, while being questioned by the Busan Railway Police, she pretended to be B, her sister-in-law.

When police asked her to show identification, A presented a photo of her sister-in-law's resident registration card, which she had saved on her mobile phone after receiving it via KakaoTalk. She also wrote B’s name and pressed her fingerprint in the "statement" section of the suspect interrogation report. About two months later, on September 23 of the same year, during a follow-up investigation by the railway police, she again presented her sister-in-law’s resident registration card photo and signed the report under her sister-in-law’s name before submitting it to investigators.

The court noted, "The defendant, after being discovered for theft, pretended to be another person and underwent police questioning twice, which constitutes serious misconduct. She also has a prior record of being fined for a similar crime yet committed the offense again, making her highly blameworthy." The court explained the sentencing, stating, "However, we also took into consideration that A admitted to and reflected on her crime, returned the stolen goods to the victim, reached a settlement with the victim, and has no prior history of criminal punishment more severe than a fine."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.