Latest news with #TokyoDistrictCourt
a day ago
Senior JP Dragon Crime Ring Member Jailed for 42 Months
News from Japan Jul 29, 2025 17:17 (JST) Tokyo, July 29 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Tuesday sentenced a senior member of the "JP Dragon" crime ring based in the Philippines to three years and six months in prison for fraud. Tomohiro Koyama, 51, is believed to be the third-highest-ranking member of the ring comprising Japanese nationals. He is a former member of another crime group led by Yuki Watanabe, 41, whose members used the pseudonym Luffy. Watanabe has been charged with robbery resulting in death. Koyama was detained by Philippine authorities and extradited to Japan in November 2024. Presiding Judge Yasushi Fuke said that Koyama's actions were "part of an organized and professional crime and very malicious." "He played an important role so that the whole organization could carry out crimes efficiently," the judge said, noting that Koyama managed ring members as a leader of a team tasked with making scam phone calls to victims. "It must be said that the criminal responsibility is heavy." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Man ordered to pay $512,000 in damages to singer he stabbed near Tokyo concert venue
TOKYO -- The Tokyo District Court on July 28 ordered a man to pay some 76 million yen (approx. $512,000) in compensation to a singer he stabbed in 2016 near a venue where she was scheduled to perform in the Japanese capital. Tomohiro Iwazaki, an inmate serving a 14 1/2-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other charges over the crime, was ordered to pay the damages to Mayu Tomita, who fell into a critical condition after being stabbed by the man with a knife in May 2016 in the Tokyo suburban city of Koganei. Tomita and her mother had sought 76 million yen in damages from him. According to the complaint, Iwazaki became a fan of Tomita after learning about her in a magazine around 2014 and unilaterally harbored affection for her. In 2016, he attempted to give her a gift at a concert venue and ask for her contact information, only to be rejected by her. The man then posted comments on social media such as "Die," hinting at harming Tomita. Concerned that she "might get killed," Tomita consulted the Metropolitan Police Department. Iwazaki nevertheless assaulted her near her concert venue, stabbing 34 parts of her body, leaving her with critical injuries. In the lawsuit, Tomita claimed that she was left with extremely serious permanent disabilities. Iwazaki did not submit a document refuting her. Following the incident, social media was added to the subject of regulations under the Anti-Stalking Act, besides email and phone calls.
6 days ago
Key Luffy Crime Group Member Gets 20 Yrs in Prison
News from Japan Society Jul 23, 2025 21:06 (JST) Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced Tomonobu Kojima, a senior member of a Philippines-based Japanese crime group, to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a series of robbery and fraud cases across Japan. This is the first court ruling for any of the four senior members of the group indicted over the high-profile robberies. The ringleaders went by names including "Luffy." Presiding Judge Masamichi Itatsu said that the robbery scheme was a "new type of serious crime," handing down the severe punishment "from the perspective of deterrence." Kojima, 47, was indicted on charges of recruiting individuals involved in robbery cases from October to December 2022, including those in the city of Inagi, Tokyo, the capital's Nakano Ward and the western city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He also allegedly swindled a total of about 54 million yen in 2019. During his trial, Kojima admitted to the charges. Public prosecutors sought a 23-year sentence. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Japan Today
Senior 'Luffy' crime group member gets 20 years over robberies
A Tokyo court on Wednesday sentenced a senior figure in a crime ring that orchestrated robberies across Japan from the Philippines to 20 years in prison, marking the first conviction of a leading member. Tomonobu Kojima, 47, was convicted of assisting in a robbery and other crimes remotely directed by the group, whose members used monikers such as "Luffy," the name of a popular manga character, and recruited perpetrators via social media. The trial at the Tokyo District Court focused on Kojima's role in the group. Although he admitted to the charges at the first hearing in early July, he said his role was merely that of a "handyman." Presiding Judge Masamichi Itatsu ruled that Kojima had a very important role in enabling the crimes, citing that he introduced applicants for lucrative but shady "part-time jobs" multiple times to other senior members, including Yuki Watanabe, 41, at their request to recruit people to carry out the robberies. Itatsu said strict punishment was necessary due to his involvement in "a new type of crime" that not only endangers public safety but also kept producing many perpetrators by discarding them after use. Prosecutors had sought a 23-year sentence, while Kojima's defense counsel had sought 11 years on the basis that his involvement was limited. According to the ruling, Kojima introduced people recruited to carry out robberies to Toshiya Fujita, 41, another senior group member, in cases between October and December of 2022. Kojima in 2019 also conspired with Kiyoto Imamura, 41, who is believed to have used the "Luffy" pseudonym, to pose as a Financial Services Agency official to steal bank cards to illicitly withdraw a total of 15 million yen ($102,000), as well as stealing some 38 million yen in cash, the ruling said. The three other senior group members have been indicted for allegedly giving instructions to their subordinates in eight main robbery cases. Trial dates for the three have yet to be decided. The crime ring is suspected of being involved in more than 50 cases of robbery, theft and other crimes across 14 prefectures. The robberies shocked Japan, where violent crime is rare. All four men were deported from the Philippines in February 2023. They are suspected of issuing instructions for the eight robberies on the encrypted messaging app Telegram while being held at a Manila immigration facility before their deportation. © KYODO
23-07-2025
Senior Member of Luffy Crime Ring Gets 20 Yrs in Prison
News from Japan Society Jul 23, 2025 17:14 (JST) Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced a senior member of a Philippines-based Japanese crime ring to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a nationwide robbery scheme. Tomonobu Kojima, 47, was the first of the four indicted members of the group, whose members called themselves by nicknames such as "Luffy," to receive a court ruling. Kojima was indicted on charges of recruiting individuals involved in robbery cases from October to December 2022, including those in the city of Inagi, Tokyo, the capital's Nakano Ward and the western city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He also allegedly swindled a total of about 54 million yen in 2019. During his trial, Kojima admitted to the charges, and public prosecutors sought a 23-year sentence. The prosecutors argued that Kojima recruited perpetrators through X, formerly Twitter, and agencies for illegal part-time jobs, and concluded that he played a significant role in executing robberies. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
