Life Sentence Sought for "Luffy" Crime Ring Member

Tokyo, Feb. 5 (Jiji Press)--Japanese prosecutors Thursday sought a life sentence for Toshiya Fujita, a senior member of a crime ring behind a series of robbery and fraud cases across the country.

The lay-judge trial for 41-year-old Fujita at Tokyo District Court, presided over by judge Sakon Togari, concluded with the defense's final arguments. The verdict is set to be handed down Feb. 16.

On Thursday, the prosecution stated in their closing arguments that Fujita was aware of the use of a crowbar in the fatal assault of a 90-year-old woman in Komae, Tokyo, in a high-profile robbery in the series of cases.

The prosecution also said he was involved in the planning for all of the robberies and played a central role in orchestrating the criminal incidents.

"Without getting his own hands dirty, he made a lot of profit while using the perpetrators like disposable tools," the prosecution said, calling the cases "heinous and grave incidents with no precedent."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]