On Valentine's Day, the topic of booking hotel rooms became wildly popular online, with netizens claiming it was as pure as could be. After being caught, Cai Xiaohong was placed in pre-trial detention, with each day of detention counting as one day towards her sentence. Her sentence would run from March 18, 2010 to March 17, 2028. That is to say, if there were no commutations, Cai Xiaohong would be 75 years old when she was released from prison.
It was understood that Zhang Hongguang had been renting rooms in various hotels for a long time, including Crown Plaza and Tianlun Dynasty, such high-end star-rated hotels. Later, when he could no longer afford the room fees, Zhang Hongguang moved to Peace Hotel and Huatai Hotel, which are lower-starred hotels.
Afterwards, Zhang Hongguang frequently proposed borrowing money. In order to cover up previous holes, Cai Xiaohong never refused. Over ten years, the amount borrowed ranged from several thousand yuan to two or three hundred thousand yuan. There were about a hundred times in total, accumulating to over ten million yuan.
Eventually, the court made a first-instance judgment. Although the embezzlement and occupational embezzlement amounted to over ten million yuan, Cai Xiaohong said she didn't see a single cent, while Zhang Hongguang also stated that all the money was spent by him, with a large portion used to pay for room fees.
In this regard, Cai Xiaohong explained that the company actually had a job responsibility system and accounting system, and over the years the unit should have verified the accounts. However, since the various branches under the foreign language bookstore were independent departments, each department calculated independently, looking at each department's account wouldn't reveal any problems. Only by combining their accounts with the bookstore's main account could discrepancies be found. And generally, once auditors found no issues with the branch accounts, they wouldn't investigate further.
In 2000, after being transferred from her original position, Cai Xiaohong retired smoothly.
In 2006, problems were discovered during an audit at Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore, and they immediately asked Cai Xiaohong to return to the company to reconcile the accounts. After showing up at the company once, Cai Xiaohong left on some pretext and then fled with Zhang Hongguang to Jinghong, Yunnan. They only had less than a thousand yuan when they escaped.
For the crime of occupational embezzlement, sentenced to 11 years in prison, confiscation of property worth 110,000 yuan, decided to execute a sentence of 16 years in prison, and confiscate property worth 210,000 yuan RMB.
Meeting at the horse field, recognizing a man, and coincidentally meeting again at Wangfujing,
For the crime of embezzlement, sentenced to 11 years in prison, confiscation of property worth 110,000 yuan, for the crime of occupational embezzlement, sentenced to 13 years in prison, confiscation of property worth 130,000 yuan, decided to execute a sentence of 18 years in prison, and confiscate property worth 240,000 yuan RMB.
During this period, Cai Xiaohong repeatedly urged repayment, "Each time he said how good the deal was, just lacking a little money, asking me to lend a bit more, and when the business was done, he would repay all the previous money. Later, I couldn't not lend him, because without lending him, the previous money couldn't be repaid."
The boyfriend needed money for his business, borrowing tens of millions over ten years
When the trial began, Cai Xiaohong interrupted the lawyer's speech multiple times: "I admit my guilt, thank you for your kindness, but don't find excuses for me."
In the local area, Zhang Hongguang lived with a girlfriend, living not far from Cai Xiaohong. The three often ate together. Cai Xiaohong, who brought Zhang Hongguang millions of wealth, soon became penniless, relying on Zhang Hongguang's occasional help and picking trash to survive.
According to our understanding, Cai Xiaohong continuously gave Zhang Hongguang millions of public funds over ten years, yet led a frugal life herself.
Cost: only housing frozen, 75 years old upon release from prison
Twenty years ago, they met by chance, and later encountered each other on the street. For the unmarried Cai Xiaohong, Zhang Hongguang was her destined fate.
The court found that according to the confessions of both defendants, every time money was taken, it was proposed by Zhang Hongguang, implemented by Cai Xiaohong, and finally handed over to Zhang Hongguang for use. Although Zhang Hongguang did not participate in the act of withholding checks, the two were co-conspirators and should jointly bear criminal responsibility for the consequences of the crime.
After being captured, Cai Xiaohong read "Tao Te Ching" in the detention center, calling herself "desireless and demand-free." Microblog recommendation | Today's microblog highlights
Zhang Hongguang quickly cashed the check into funds. "At the time, I especially reminded him, saying this was the payment collected from the store, and must be returned. He said there was no problem," Cai Xiaohong told reporters, but after the first loan, Zhang Hongguang did not repay, and soon came back for a second loan.
Judgment situation of the two
For the crime of embezzlement, sentenced to 10 years in prison, confiscation of property worth 100,000 yuan
Cai Xiaohong said that from 1991 to 2000, if there were payments on the financial accounts of the stores that the main store did not receive, they were likely taken out by her.
"I didn't know what I was seeking, and thus started blindly." Cai Xiaohong later explained her criminal behavior like this.
Cai Xiaohong was unaware that Zhang Hongguang used the money she gave him to rent luxury hotel rooms and engage in various extravagant consumption.
Later, when there was no more money, around 1998, Zhang Hongguang moved out of Huatai Hotel and rented a house near Beitaipingzhuang. Many times, at the end of the month, when the hotel called asking for rent, he would call Cai Xiaohong, and she would take the check directly to the hotel front desk to settle his bill. Even when Zhang Hongguang developed a drug addiction, the money for buying drugs was provided by Cai Xiaohong.
Complete confession, unwilling for lawyers to defend
Why did the unit not discover problems for years?
Additionally, in court, when the judge asked how much money she had taken, Cai Xiaohong said that initially she recorded every check she took in a notebook, but later, seeing no one checking, she threw the notebook away when she retired.
This edition written by reporter Hong Xue, photographed by reporter Cao Boyuan
Moreover, due to historical issues left over from restructuring, there were many unresolved bills between the main store and each branch, which everyone had become accustomed to. Based on this, during her retirement audit, no problems were detected.
Because of fear of leaving traces, Cai Xiaohong and Zhang Hongguang dared not take flights, instead taking trains to Kunming, Yunnan, and then taking long-distance buses to Jinghong, leading a destitute life under assumed names.
"I don't know what I was seeking, and thus started blindly." When talking about her criminal behavior, Cai Xiaohong later explained like this.
In the unit, due to her diligence, Cai Xiaohong was highly valued by her superiors and had good relations with her colleagues. If things had continued along this trajectory, her life might have turned out differently. However, more than 20 years ago, a chance encounter changed everything for Cai Xiaohong.
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Cai Xiaohong is from Beijing. In 1985, she took over her mother's job and entered the Beijing Foreign Language Bookstore to work. Because she studied statistics, she was assigned to the business department as a statistician and later became a finance staff member. This was a fully state-owned enterprise, which in June 1994 was restructured into a shareholding company and renamed Beijing Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore Co., Ltd.
Considering that Zhang Hongguang was the one who initiated the idea and used the public funds, therefore, he did not play a secondary role in the joint crime, and both he and Cai Xiaohong were considered principal offenders; hence, the defense counsel's opinion was not adopted by the court.
Soon after they got acquainted, in June 1991, Zhang Hongguang approached Cai Xiaohong, saying that he lacked money for his business and wanted her to help. Thus, Cai Xiaohong handed over a check for goods payment from a subordinate store to Zhang Hongguang.
Twenty years ago, a female accountant met a man, lent him millions from her workplace over ten years, lived off scavenging during their escape. What is the price of love? Ten million yuan, eighteen years.
Judgment on joint crime, both are principal offenders
Until her retirement in 2002, Cai Xiaohong's responsibilities remained unchanged, responsible for handling the flow of funds between the main store and its various branches.
Today, it was learned that the Second Intermediate People's Court sentenced Cai Xiaohong to 18 years in prison for embezzlement and occupational embezzlement, while Zhang Hongguang was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
It was understood that before the trial, Cai Xiaohong had repeatedly refused to hire a lawyer, stating that she fully admitted her guilt and there was no need to spend this money. Finally, under the insistence of her family, Cai Xiaohong agreed to hire a lawyer.
Gradually, the single Cai Xiaohong and Zhang Hongguang became friends. In fact, Zhang Hongguang, who graduated from junior high school, had no formal job and already had a family.
In 1989, when Cai Xiaohong was only 34 years old, she met Zhang Hongguang at a horse field near Daoxiang Lake in Haidian District. Zhang Hongguang claimed to be a company boss. Soon after, they coincidentally met again on the streets of Wangfujing and exchanged contact information.
Besides, for the defense opinion that Zhang Hongguang truthfully confessed the residence of co-defendant Cai Xiaohong after being arrested, assisting judicial authorities in capturing Cai Xiaohong promptly, which should be recognized as a significant meritorious act and should result in leniency or mitigation of punishment, the court accepted it after reviewing.
During the trial, Cai Xiaohong's defense lawyer posed a question to her in court, asking why no issues were discovered during the unit's account verification over several years.
Cai Xiaohong
Zhang Hongguang
Over ten years, Cai Xiaohong, while working at Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore, willingly helped Zhang Hongguang embezzle millions of public funds, not keeping a single cent for herself. During their escape, Cai Xiaohong, penniless, could only survive by scavenging.
At the time, all ten plus stores of Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore had to order books through the main store. In the business department where Cai Xiaohong worked, all check transactions for book payments were handled solely by her. Therefore, even if she received checks from the stores but did not deposit them in time, it was very hard to be discovered.
Under review
Thousands of millions of yuan were all extravagantly spent by her boyfriend
"When this business was solely managed by me." Cai Xiaohong said calmly.
The police found that apart from one set of housing under Cai Xiaohong's name, there were no deposits or vehicles. Ultimately, the court froze this property, and the proceeds from its sale will be used to compensate the victimized company.
In 1989, when Cai Xiaohong was only 34 years old, she met Zhang Hongguang at a horse field near Daoxiang Lake in Haidian District. Zhang Hongguang claimed to be a company boss. Not long after, they coincidentally met again on the streets of Wangfujing and exchanged contact information.
Furthermore, for the defense opinion that after Zhang Hongguang was arrested, he truthfully confessed the residence of co-defendant Cai Xiaohong, assisting judicial authorities in promptly arresting Cai Xiaohong, which should be recognized as a significant meritorious act and should result in leniency or mitigation of punishment, the court reviewed and adopted it.
During the trial, Cai Xiaohong's defense lawyer raised a question to her in court, asking why no issues were discovered during the unit's account verification over several years.
Cai Xiaohong
Zhang Hongguang
In ten years, while working at Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore, Cai Xiaohong willingly helped Zhang Hongguang embezzle millions of public funds, not keeping a single cent for herself. During their escape, Cai Xiaohong, penniless, could only survive by scavenging.
At the time, all ten plus stores of Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore had to order books through the main store. In the business department where Cai Xiaohong worked, all check transactions for book payments were handled solely by her. Therefore, even if she received checks from the stores but did not deposit them in time, it was very hard to be discovered. Under review, Zhang Hongguang