MIYAGI (TR) – A 43-year-old man accused of embezzling 22 million yen he found on the street told a court that he believed the cash was a “gift from God” after being given just months to live, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 20).
Takuya Suenaga, who lives in Higashimatsushima City, is currently standing trial for the embezzlement of lost property. During his first hearing at the Sendai District Court on Monday, the court heard the dramatic circumstances surrounding the March incident, revealing the grim news Suenaga received just moments before the crime.
On the day of the incident, Suenaga was informed by doctors that his cancer had returned and he had only two to three months left to live.
While walking home from the hospital after receiving the devastating prognosis, Suenaga stumbled upon a bag lying on the street. The bag, which had been dropped by a security company transporting cash, contained a staggering 22 million yen. Suenaga took the bag to a nearby park, opened it, and decided to keep the windfall.
“I thought it was a gift from God,” Suenaga told the court.
Spent 18 million yen
Outliving his initial life expectancy, Suenaga was arrested four-and-a-half months after the incident. By the time police caught up with him, he had already spent approximately 18 million yen. The funds were used for a domestic trip to Ise, an overseas vacation to Vietnam, and to pay for his ongoing cancer treatments.
During the trial, prosecutors demanded a one-year prison sentence.
Suenaga’s defense team is seeking a suspended sentence, highlighting the extreme psychological state of the defendant at the time. “If you found 22 million yen lying there on your way home from being given a life expectancy diagnosis, it’s not hard to understand thinking, ‘Is God watching over me?'” his lawyer argued.
The security company’s 22 million yen loss has since been covered by an insurance provider. Suenaga is currently repaying the insurance company in monthly installments of 30,000 yen.
The court is scheduled to hand down its verdict on November 6.