A convicted fraudster posing as a legitimate farmer has been caught after attempting to integrate into a community by presenting himself as a respected local figure. At the age of seventy, he said he wanted to be loved and remembered by those around him. As reported by Nitele News, restaurants in the Kitakyushu area of Fukuoka have begun to notice the emergence of a client by the name of Kadunori Inagaki, who was very generous, sometimes visiting sushi bars or expensive bars and announcing that he would pay for all the clients in the establishment. Sometimes, such acts of generosity would cost Inagaki 300,000 yen (around 1,910 American dollars) for a visit, but he did so with a smile on his face.
True to his fraudulent ways, the man claimed that he farmed strawberries, managing a small farm with a license plate number 1583, which could have been read as "ichigoyasan," translated as "strawberry farmer." One of Inagaki's last victims was a 76-year-old woman from the Nagomi family, who was lured to his address. Initially, he asserted that "I do not recall committing similar offenses," but the investigation revealed unique details about other crimes, leading to him being charged with all presented allegations.
Inagaki recounted to the police that as he began his criminal activities, he felt that the benefits provided by social assistance, which he received, were not sufficient for him to live. However, when questioned about using stolen funds to visit expensive sushi bars and bars for drinks and snacks, he said: "I paid for this because I wanted to look remarkable in front of people," which caused him to make a habit of covering clients' bills each time.
According to the investigator, between September 2023 and October 2024, the man committed 63 burglaries in homes in the Fukuoka prefecture and neighboring prefectures Oita and Kumamoto, where the total amount stolen was around 9.3 million yen (approximately sixty thousand dollars). Inagaki first attacked homes in the rural community, breaking in when residents went out to work in the fields, and stole cash and gift cards (which could be exchanged for money, and then sold).