Osaka Real Estate Scammer Given 54-Month Prison Sentence

Osaka, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press)–Osaka District Court on Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man to four years and six months in prison for swindling 1.45 billion yen in a real estate scam in the busy Minami area in Osaka, western Japan. Judge Akira Kuranari ruled that the defendant, Ryohei Kume, took part in “a malicious crime with sophisticated tricks” by posing as a landowner. Prosecutors had demanded a six-year prison sentence for Kume. Three others involved in the scam, including alleged mastermind Hiroshi Fukuda, 53, have also been indicted. The judge found that Kume posed as a company representative by using a fake driver’s license and creating fictitious records of a general shareholders meeting. “He played an essential role in deceiving people and received a reward of 5.8 million yen,” Kuranari said. The judge also criticized Kume’s motive as selfish, stating that it was to repay debt accumulated through gambling. According to the verdict and information from other sources, Kume conspired with Fukuda and others to carry out the scam involving land and buildings in Osaka’s Chuo Ward owned by a real estate company. He posed as the female representative of the company and defrauded two male real estate company managers of 1.45 billion yen through the fictitious transactions. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]