The Taichung District Court yesterday sentenced a woman to 11 years in prison for defrauding a family of five of more than NT$15 million (US$474,383) and intimidation that led them to commit suicide.
The woman, surnamed Lee (李), was convicted on three counts of fraud for financial gain, extortion through intimidation and contraventions of the Banking Act (銀行法), the court said.
The verdict can be appealed.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
The judges found that Lee promised the family a guaranteed 10 percent monthly return on their money.
When the family noticed irregularities and refused to continue investing, Lee fabricated penalty fees and repeatedly sent threatening messages, subjecting the victims to prolonged psychological pressure, the court said.
Lee's actions ultimately led the family of five to commit suicide due to unbearable intimidation and heavy financial stress, it said.
Lee confessed to all offenses during the trial, the court statement said.
Five members of the Wang family were found dead at their Taichung home in July last year — a 62-year-old man, his 63-year-old wife, their two daughters aged 35 and 34, and their 28-year-old son, police said.
Prosecutors found that Lee had defrauded the family through schemes including investments in a group-buying company and gold purchases to exploit differences in prices, after being introduced to the eldest daughter by a woman surnamed Chang (張) in 2024, prosecutors said.
After the family refused further investment, Lee intimidated them into taking a NT$2 million loan from a pawnshop she designated to pay a fabricated penalty, of which she appropriated NT$1.76 million, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison sentence for Lee.
One of the Wang family's sons-in-law, speaking through Taichung City Councilor Hsieh Chih-chung (謝志忠), said he had hoped the perpetrator would receive the punishment she deserves, but the sentence was clearly inconsistent with society's expectations.
Hsieh told reporters after attending the trial that the case involved a structured criminal network, including Lee, the group-buying organizer, Chang, underground lenders and violent debt collectors. He was the first to bring the case to light.
Lin Chyong-jia (林瓊嘉), the lawyer representing the Wang family, said the defendant acted out of greed and fabricated false debts that led to five deaths, calling it an egregious act.
Family members would ask prosecutors to appeal, Lin said.
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