World · East Asia & Pacific · 14 hrs ago
Man admits taking 22 million yen found on Sendai street
A 43-year-old man admitted taking 22 million yen from a bag found on a street in Sendai, Japan.
The bag had been dropped by a security company transporting cash in March.
He said he found it on his way home from a cancer prognosis, after doctors told him his cancer had returned and he might have two to three months to live.
He told the court he thought the money was a gift from God.
He is estimated to have spent 18 million yen, including on travel and cancer treatment.
Prosecutors asked for a one-year prison term, while his lawyer asked the court to suspend the sentence, citing his diagnosis and state of mind.
The court is due to give its ruling on November 6; the insurer covered the security company’s loss, and the defendant is repaying it in monthly installments.
A 43-year-old man admitted taking a bag containing 22 million yen that a security company had dropped on a street in Sendai.
The bag was lost while security guards were transporting cash in March.
The man said he thought the money was a gift from God after learning his cancer had returned and receiving a life expectancy of two to three months.
Prosecutors sought a one-year custodial sentence, while the defense asked for a suspended sentence.
The court is due to deliver its ruling on November 6.
- Who
- Takuya Suenaga, a 43-year-old former part-time worker.
- What
- He admitted taking a bag containing 22 million yen and was charged with misappropriation of lost property.
- When
- The incident happened on March 5, 2026; his first hearing was on October 19.
- Where
- A street in Aoba Ward, Sendai, Japan.
- Why
- He said he thought the money was a gift from God after receiving a cancer prognosis of two to three months.
Prosecution
Defense
Sentence
Prosecution
Prosecutors sought a one-year custodial sentence, saying he spent a large amount of money according to his desires and increased the harm.
Defense
The defense sought a suspended sentence, saying his cancer had returned and he had become despondent after being told he had two to three months to live.
Suenaga took a bag containing 22 million yen that security guards had dropped while transporting cash in Aoba Ward, Sendai.
At his first hearing, Suenaga admitted the charge, and prosecutors sought a one-year custodial sentence.
The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling.
- Cash in the bag
- 22 million yen
- Defendant
- Takuya Suenaga, 43
- Location
- Aoba Ward, Sendai
- Charge
- Misappropriation of lost property
- Prosecution request
- One-year custodial sentence
- Scheduled ruling
- November 6, 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
I thought it was a gift from God.
He spent a large amount of money according to his desires and increased the harm.
If 22 million yen had been lying there on the way back from receiving a life expectancy notice, it is not hard to understand thinking, “Is God watching over me?