A Korean-American man has been charged with breaking into the home of a neighbor and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
The man reportedly dined with the neighbor’s family on the day of the alleged crime.
The incident occurred on August 21 at an apartment in Pasadena, south of Baltimore, Maryland.
Fifty-three-year-old Myeongsoo Lee is accused of stealing $200,000 from a neighbor’s house, local media outlet the Capital Gazette reported on October 7, citing a statement from the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
The court records did not clearly state the nature of their relationship but described that the victim later returned from a walk with her son to find her bedroom window broken and the suitcase containing the $200,000 open.
The charges, obtained by Capital Gazette, allege that Lee peered into the neighbor’s home through her window and that he observed her undress. Police found Lee leaving the woman’s home on surveillance footage and walking by the front of the apartment several times before going behind the neighbor’s house.
It was also pointed out that Lee’s statements changed several times during the police investigation.
Lee told police that he was drinking in his apartment at the time of the incident, but later said he was moving to put away equipment when he was caught on the apartment surveillance camera. When asked if he kept any cash in his apartment, Lee said no, but officers who obtained a search warrant found $164,140 in his home.
Lee admitted to stealing the money through a Korean interpreter, the outlet said.
Lee is currently being held at the Jennifer Road Detention Center in Anne Arundel County.
BY YEOL JANG, HOONSIK WOO [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
