Woman sentenced in extortion case involving Dion’s husband

Friday, Jan. 14, 2005 | 9:54 a.m.

A 49-year-old Korean woman convicted of extortion for trying to get millions of dollars from the husband of Celine Dion to quell a rape allegation was sentenced to a year in jail and 16 months to 5 years in prison on Thursday.

On Oct. 28 a Clark County jury had found Yun Kyeong Sung guilty of extortion, conspiring to commit extortion and of being a participant witness in the solicitation of a bribe.

The most prominent evidence presented was a surreptitiously taped meeting in which lawyers for Sung and her husband tried to convince a lawyer for Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, to pay $13.5 million.

Sung and Kwon had already received $2 million from Angelil to keep a fondling allegation quiet when, in 2002, they allegedly renewed demands for more money, this time claiming Angelil raped her on the March 2000 night in question.

On the tape, the couple's lawyers said that if the money wasn't paid Sung and her husband, Ae Ho Kwon, would conduct "a bombardment in the mass media" aimed at destroying Angelil's reputation.

Glass said Sung's crimes were "all about greed" as she sentenced her to one year at the Clark County Detention center for conspiracy to commit extortion, a concurrent one to four years for extortion and a consecutive 16 months to five years in prison for witness soliciting a bribe.

"You (Sung) got $2 million and you wanted more, that wasn't enough and that's why you are standing here today," Glass said.

Sung addressed the court through a prepared statement that was read aloud by a Korean interpreter.

"The assault ruined 24 years of my marriage and my life," Sung said. "He (Angelil) used despicable attorneys and turned the case around to make me the assailant instead of the victim."

She said she believes in God and "I pray that no one will be victimized like myself."

Sung's attorney, Robert Langford, said he found it "scary" prosecutors haven't pressed charges against attorneys Joseph Hong and Michael Olsen who he labeled as co-conspirators.

Langford said Sung acted on the advice and counsel of Hong and Sung and he failed to see why "she (Sung) should go to prison, but the attorneys remain free."

In arguing against prison time and instead for her to be sent back to her native South Korea Langford said the "666 days" Sung had spent in custody in the Clark County jail was enough punishment.

"Being in prison is two hours compared to one day at the Clark County Detention Center," Langford said. "She has been punished."

L.J. O'Neale said Sung's case "cries out for incarceration." He said if Glass were to simply send Sung back to South Korea she would have sent a message to other foreign nationals that "you can commit a crime and then get a plane ticket home."

Kwon, who sat quietly in the back row of the court Thursday, is to be tried on the same charges beginning March 14.