Former BIGHIT MUSIC Employee Sentenced To Prison For Merchandise Fraud
According to reports on November 20, KST, a former BIGHIT MUSIC employee, was sentenced to prison for committing fraud through a fake BTS merchandise business.
Reports state that the 12th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court delivered the ruling on November 20. The defendant, a 40-year-old Mr. A, was indicted on charges of fraud (Aggravated Punishment Act for Specific Crimes) and sentenced to two years in prison and three years of probation, along with 120 hours of community service.
Mr. A worked as a team leader at BTS’s label, BIGHIT MUSIC, and duped multiple victims by pretending to set up an official merchandise business for BTS members at the HYBE headquarters in June of last year. He allegedly embezzled ₩576 million KRW (about $413,000 USD) on 17 occasions.
According to the plaintiff, Mr. A deceived them by claiming that the BTS members would start their solo activities before their military enlistment, and BIGHIT MUSIC was receiving investments for merchandise to give to their fans. “If you lend me the money, I will pay you back the principal and also [a share of] the profits.”
The defendant then allegedly used the investment money he received to pay off his personal debts.
Though the defendant abused his title as a famous entertainment company’s team leader to defraud people out of large sums of money, he reimbursed the plaintiff ₩600 million KRW (about $431,000 USD). Taking this fact into account, the court gave him a suspended sentence.
