Terminally ill Japanese man jailed after spending found cash
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A 43-year-old man in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, was sentenced on November 6 to six months in prison for misappropriating 22 million yen in cash that he found on a roadside on March 5. Earlier that same day, Takuya Suenaga (末永拓也) had been told at hospital that his cancer had returned and that he might have only two to three months to live. He later told the court he felt the money was “given by God” and spent heavily before his arrest in July. The case drew attention because more than eight months had passed since the prognosis that he had only a short time left
Key Points
- On March 5, after leaving hospital in Sendai’s Aoba Ward, Suenaga found a bag by the roadside and opened it in a nearby park toilet
- Inside the bag was 22 million yen in cash, about HK$1.088 million, which had reportedly been left behind by a cash transport security worker
- Suenaga spent about 18 million yen before his July arrest, including trips to Vietnam and Ise, meals, and cancer treatment costs
- At the first hearing on October 19, prosecutors called his conduct “extremely selfish” and sought a one-year prison term, while the defence asked for a suspended sentence
- The Sendai District Court said monthly repayments of 30,000 yen to the insurer for more than 50 years were doubtful, and imposed six months’ imprisonment
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark reminder that found property, even in extraordinary personal circumstances, remains subject to criminal law and cannot simply be treated as a windfall. It also shows how courts may consider illness and lack of prior convictions in sentencing, yet still reject probation when large sums are involved and restitution appears unrealistic