Former girl group T-ara member Lee Ah-reum (31), who was indicted for borrowing money from fans and acquaintances and failing to repay it, received a suspended prison sentence in the appeals trial.
On the 13th, the Suwon District Court's 5th Criminal Appeals Division (Director General Kim Haeng-soon, Lee Jong-rok, Park Shin-young) overturned the original sentence in the appeals trial of Lee Ah-reum and her boyfriend Mr. A on charges including fraud, sentencing Mr. A to 1 year and 4 months in prison and Lee to 4 months in prison with a 1-year suspension.
The first trial had sentenced Mr. A to 1 year and 6 months in prison, and Lee to 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.
The appeals court stated, "Lee Ah-reum conspired knowing that Mr. A was committing fraudulent acts against his fans and others, and he repeatedly committed fraud against the victims, which is not a light offense. However, considering that he is reflecting on his actions and has reached agreements with some of the victims, the original sentence is somewhat severe and unjust."
Regarding Mr. A, it noted, "He repeatedly committed fraud, and the total amount of damages is substantial, making his culpability severe. However, he has reached agreements with some victims and admits to all of his crimes."
Lee Ah-reum and Mr. A were indicted on charges of failing to repay about 37 million won borrowed from three fans and acquaintances.
The victims claimed, "Lee Ah-reum borrowed money citing personal reasons with her boyfriend and has not repaid it to this day," and they filed a complaint with the police in March of last year.
Meanwhile, Lee Ah-reum previously claimed that her ex-husband habitually abused their children, causing controversy. In response, her ex-husband filed a complaint against her and her mother in February of last year for violating the Child Welfare Act (child abuse and neglect) and for charges of minor abduction.
As a result, in January, Lee Ah-reum received an 8-month prison sentence with a 2-year suspension on charges of child abuse and defamation, but she is currently appealing.
Lee Ah-reum joined the girl group T-ara in 2012 but left the team the following year in 2013. She married an older businessman in 2019 and had two sons but announced her divorce in 2023. She later announced news of a remarriage and gave birth to her third child in October of last year. It is reported that she is currently pregnant with her fourth child.