Multiple sentences for continuing fraud while under investigation
(Baonghean.vn) - While on bail to serve the investigation of a fraud case that appropriated more than 5 billion VND from 2 victims, Pham Thi My Hanh continued to commit another fraud.
On December 19, the Provincial People's Court held a first-instance criminal trial against Pham Thi My Hanh (born in 1991, residing in Vinh City) for the crime ofFraudulent appropriation of property.
According to the indictment, in June 2021, Hanh was investigated by the Nghe An Provincial Police Department for fraud and appropriation of more than 5 billion VND from Ms. M. and Ms. O.
During this time, because she was pregnant, Hanh was released on bail to serve the investigation. Having debts to many people, Hanh came up with the idea of defrauding and appropriating the property of Ms. PTV (born in 1995, residing in Vinh City, Hanh's cousin).
Hanh said she had a source of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, milk... sent from abroad, guaranteed quality, high profit, to invite Ms. V. to invest, committed to split the profit in half. Thinking it was real, Ms. V. transferred money to Hanh many times, then received a sum of money from Hanh.
On May 27, 2022, the Provincial People's Court brought the case of Hanh defrauding and appropriating property of two women in Vinh City to trial and sentenced Hanh to 20 years in prison. Despite this, Hanh continued to hide the fact that she was sentenced to prison and continued to defraud Ms. V.
On June 10, when she saw that the amount of money she invested in business with Hanh was large but not profitable, Ms. V. asked Hanh to return it. Late that night, Hanh texted to confess the whole incident, apologized to Ms. V., and then cut off contact.
After a period of asking Hanh to pay the money without any results, on October 20, 2022, Ms. V. filed a complaint with Nghe An Police.
The authorities concluded that from June 1, 2021 to June 10, 2022, Ms. V. transferred a total of more than 21.9 billion VND to Hanh. Hanh also transferred more than 19.9 billion VND to the victim, appropriating more than 2 billion VND.
At the trial, the defendant Hanh admitted all the crimes as charged in the indictment. The defendant apologized to the victim and said that at present, there is no way to pay Ms. V.
Ms. PTV requested strict punishment and requested the court to force the defendant to pay back the entire amount of money he had embezzled.
Considering the case as a whole, the first instance trial panel sentenced Pham Thi My Hanh to 16 years in prison. Combining the sentences currently being served, the defendant Hanh must serve a total sentence of 30 years in prison for the crime of Fraudulent appropriation of property. The court also ordered the defendant to return more than 1.9 billion VND to Ms. V. (minus more than 100 million VND that had been previously paid by her family).
