A court in Karaganda has handed down a verdict in a fraud case that left 461 people victimized, with total damages exceeding 700 million tenge, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the official Telegram channel of the courts of the Karaganda Region, pre-trial investigators accused two women of fraud — the theft of others' property through deception of an information system user, committed repeatedly against two or more persons, on a large and especially large scale (Article 190, Part 4, Item 2 of the Criminal Code).
Investigators established that the defendant organized WhatsApp groups selling goods from China and Turkey at low prices, offering dishes and various household items. To attract buyers, reviews about receiving the goods were posted.
The defendants later advertised furniture, household appliances and cars at prices significantly below market, using video testimonials from third parties.
After receiving orders and payments from buyers, the defendants promised to deliver the goods but had no intention of fulfilling their obligations.
As a result, 461 people were harmed by the defendants' actions, and the total damage exceeded 700 million tenge.
The defendants' guilt was confirmed by testimony from victims and witnesses, chat records and posts in the WhatsApp groups, bank account transaction records and other evidence examined by the court.
The prosecutor sought a sentence of 6 years and 8 months in prison with a one-year deferral, citing the fact that one of the women has seven children and the other has a young child.
The victims asked for a strict punishment and for the damages caused by the crime to be recovered.
The defendants did not admit guilt, and the defense asked for their acquittal.
In imposing the sentence, the court considered the defendants' young children as a mitigating circumstance, as well as the absence of circumstances aggravating criminal liability and punishment.
The court sentenced each of the women to 6 years and 8 months in prison with a one-year deferral of the sentence.
The victims' civil claims were partially granted, and more than 700 million tenge was recovered from the guilty parties. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.
Recall that it was previously reported that a businesswoman was on trial in Karaganda in a fraud case. Hundreds of people trusted a resident of the Akmola Region who promised to bring goods from China at favorable prices. People ordered clothing, household items and cars, but most never received their purchases.