The unexpected request from a mother whose son is sentenced to death.
After her son was imprisoned, Mrs. T. asked Dung to gather information and "arrange" for a reduced sentence. However, the law was strict, and her son received the harshest possible sentence. Outraged at being deceived, she filed a complaint against Dung with the police. However, at the trial, she requested a lighter sentence for the man who had defrauded her.
The fraudster's justification
Nguyen Tien Dung (52 years old), residing in Chuong Duong ward, Hanoi, did not have a stable job but chose to make money through fraud. Dung used his persuasive speaking skills to carry out a scam in 2004. That year, Dung was sentenced by the People's Court of Nghe An province to 2 years of suspended imprisonment for the crime of fraud and appropriation of property.
Despite having committed fraud before, Dung did not seem to mend his ways or seek legitimate work. Instead, he continued down the same path. This time, Dung committed fraud using the tactic of promising to "fix" a reduced sentence, targeting Ms. Le Thi T. (66 years old), a resident of Hoang Mai town, Nghe An province.
Specifically, around mid-2022, after her son was arrested by the Hanoi City Police for illegally transporting narcotics, Ms. Le Thi T. became worried and sought ways to "arrange" a reduced sentence. At this time, an acquaintance of Ms. T. introduced her to Dung. This person said that Dung worked at the court and could contact them to request a reduced sentence for her son. Hearing this, Ms. T. immediately asked someone to connect her with Dung.
On August 17, 2022, at a cafe in Hanoi, Ms. T. met with Dung. There, Ms. T. explained her son's situation and asked Dung to check the information to help reduce his sentence.
Although he didn't work in the judicial system and had no ability to influence court cases, Dũng, needing money for personal expenses and cryptocurrency investments, lied about obtaining information and securing a reduced sentence. He demanded 600 million VND for the job. Trusting him, Ms. T. gave him a total of 600 million VND in multiple installments within a week (from August 18th to 25th, 2022).
After a period of waiting, in October 2022, Ms. T. met with Dung to inquire about the situation. At this point, Dung admitted that he could not fulfill his promise. Therefore, Ms. T. demanded that Dung return the money, but he refused.
Subsequently, Ms. T.'s son was sentenced to death by the Hanoi City People's Court for illegally transporting narcotics. Grieving over her son's harsh sentence and Dũng's refusal to pay, Ms. Le Thi T. filed a criminal complaint with the police on January 13, 2024. Immediately afterward, the Nghe An Provincial Police arrested and searched Nguyen Tien Dung's residence.
At the trial of Nguyen Tien Dung for fraud and misappropriation of property, the defendant confessed to the crime. The defendant asserted that he did not introduce himself as working in the judicial system, and that this was a misunderstanding by an acquaintance of Ms. T.
Although he knew he couldn't "influence" the work of the prosecuting authorities, Dung, needing money, provided false information to swindle money from Ms. T. Regarding the stolen money, the defendant stated that he spent it on personal expenses and invested it in cryptocurrency.
Dung, choked with emotion, turned to where Mrs. T. was sitting to offer his apologies and express his hope that she would recover her health after the ordeal her son had gone through. The defendant himself felt remorse and self-reproach for taking advantage of the mother's anxiety over her child to commit the crime.
Surprised by the victim's request.
Attending the trial as the victim, Ms. T. repeatedly choked up as she recounted the events. She explained that because she trusted the person who introduced her to the case and believed in Dung, she withdrew her savings and borrowed money to raise 600 million VND within a week. After the defendant admitted he couldn't secure the job, despite her repeated demands for the money back, he refused to return it, causing her distress.
However, at this point, she didn't blame Dung because the entire amount had been paid by the defendant's family. She asked the court to reduce Dung's sentence. The victim tearfully stated: "If possible, I ask the court to 'reduce the sentence completely,' not to sentence Dung to prison. I am also a mother with a child in prison, I know how painful it is, Dung's mother is suffering just like me..."
Listening to the heart-wrenching words of the distraught mother, the defendant Dung's eyes welled up with tears... He repeatedly bowed his head and apologized to the victim. He pleaded with the court to consider mitigating his sentence so that he could have the opportunity to return home and care for the victim sooner.
During the court's deliberation, Mrs. T. repeatedly shed tears when mentioning her wayward son. She worried about her own health and feared she would no longer have the strength to visit and support him. Despite this, she did not forget to send her regards and encouragement to the defendant.
Regarding the victim's request to waive Dung's prison sentence, the panel of judges acknowledged the victim's plea for leniency as a mitigating circumstance. However, according to the presiding judge, to ensure the strict enforcement of the law and as a warning and deterrent to others, the victim's request for leniency was not accepted. Therefore, the court sentenced defendant Nguyen Tien Dung to 7 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of fraud and appropriation of property.
As the trial concluded and Dũng was being escorted out, Mrs. T. quickly stood up to offer words of encouragement. Afterward, the nearly 70-year-old woman quietly and with difficulty left the courthouse…
