(Getty Images Bank)
(Getty Images Bank)

A man received a prison sentence of one year and 10 months for defrauding a parent with false promises of securing their child a spot at a prestigious US university, news reports said Wednesday.

The fraudster, surnamed Jeong, accumulated 850 million won ($564,000) from the father of a university student between May and December 2018 after claiming he could arrange the child’s transfer to one of three US universities through donation-based programs.

He claimed to have connections with admissions officers there and pledged to return 600 million won if the plan fell through.

However, the claims proved entirely false, and the victim’s child received no assistance from Jeong. The student was later admitted to a US university through a separate process.

Jeong was later indicted on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, and the Supreme Court of Korea recently upheld the prison term handed down by a lower court.

During the trial, Jeong denied the fraud charges, arguing that he had received the money for admissions consulting rather than for arranging a donation-based transfer through his connections with US admissions officers.

In its ruling, the court emphasized the gravity of the offense, noting that the defendant had taken advantage of the student and his father’s earnest desire to transfer to a US university.

However, the court cited mitigating factors, including the partial return of the money and the victim’s unwillingness to seek punishment.


cjh@heraldcorp.com