Having favorable conditions yet taking a wrong path, Chen Yi-xuan, the former vice secretary-general of the Kaohsiung Lawyers Association, was discovered by investigators in August 2023 to be allegedly acting as a "strategist" for a fraud group, pointing out criminal methods and legal tactics. He also conspired with a group of wealthy second-generation high school classmates in fraud and other illegal activities. In today's first-instance verdict, the judge considered that Chen Yi-xuan had no prior criminal record and had a good attitude after the crime, resulting in a light sentence of 8 months, with a 3-year probation. The prosecution stated they will appeal.
Wealthy Second-Generation Showing Off Supercars, Involved in Fraud
This first-instance result has led many citizens to question "Can the law not handle the wealthy second-generation?" Since Chen Yi-xuan and the fraud group's mastermind were originally brothers from high school, they spent money lavishly, drove luxury cars and supercars, held multi-person sex parties in private venues to "celebrate", and were suspected of taking drugs while partying. The prosecution strongly criticized their distorted values.
The case erupted because in the fraud group busted by the prosecution in 2023, Chen Yi-xuan obtained evidence by accompanying investigations, obtaining statements from arrested runners and proceeds of crime, and reporting breakpoints to the fraud group. Subsequently, it was discovered that the fraud group was exploiting their runners, with wealthy second-generation members instructing subordinates to coerce runners into signing promissory notes, seizing documents, and then using legal expertise to enforce court-mandated financial seizures.
It was then discovered that the main suspects - 32-year-old Hong Shuo-fu, 30-year-old Chen Guan-yu, Chen Yi-kai - were all wealthy second-generation members. 31-year-old Ma Jia-yu's father was the former chairman of the Pingtung Hengchun Township representative council. The 31-year-old Chen Yi-xuan's father was a judge and presiding judge at the Kaohsiung District Court, who later became a lawyer after retirement, with his brother also being a lawyer. They established a law firm, and Chen Yi-xuan obtained his lawyer's license immediately after graduating and worked in the firm, later serving as vice secretary-general of the Kaohsiung Lawyers Association.
The 5 members graduated from the same elite private high school and began associating and playing together, eventually engaging in illegal activities, forming a "wealthy second-generation exploitation group" that allegedly defrauded over NT$400 million in just 3 months.
Prosecution Dissatisfied with First-Instance Verdict
The prosecution arrested 21 people from the group, seizing 2 properties, cash of NT$2.8 million, 344 USDT, securities worth over NT$2 million, along with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren and other luxury cars.
The first-instance verdict sentenced the main suspect Zhang Yao-yuan to 5 years and 2 months, Hong Shuo-fu to 5 years and 8 months, Chen Guan-yu to 3 years and 2 months, and Ma Jia-yu to 4 years in prison. Chen Yi-xuan, having no prior criminal record and "largely admitting to the crime", showing remorse and reaching a settlement with victims, was deemed unlikely to reoffend, and was sentenced to 8 months for leaking secrets, with a 3-year probation. The prosecution found the result extremely unacceptable and stated they will definitely appeal.
