[Follow-up Report] Discrepancies in Supercar Fraud Trial Involving Aggressive Couple
Chasing the truck with a Ferrari and Lamborghini.
The trial of Takasato Saito (32, arrested at the time) and Chika Saito (30) began on January 8 at the Tokyo District Court. They were charged with fraud after chasing a truck in a Ferrari and Lamborghini, provoking the driver by claiming the vehicle had been damaged by flying bolts, and then taking a photo of the driver’s license. Using this, they created fraudulent credit cards and purchased items like iPhones from electronics stores in Osaka and Tokyo.
According to the indictment, Takasato Saito, his wife Chika Saito, and their acquaintance, Yuki Nomura (30, a temporary worker from Yokohama, Kanagawa), pursued the truck in the leased supercars. They falsely accused the driver of causing damage and then photographed his driver’s license. Based on that, they forged credit cards and purchased products.
A source involved in the investigation revealed, “The couple lived in a tower apartment in Toyosu and led an extravagant lifestyle. However, their funds came from reselling fraudulently obtained iPhones and other items. They forged 71 credit cards for 31 people, with the total damage exceeding 95 million yen.”
Nomura’s and Chika Saito’s first trials were held in November and December, respectively. In court, the systematic nature of the crime and the strange relationship between the Saito couple and Nomura were revealed.
It was disclosed that Takasato Saito and Nomura had been senior-junior in the university’s canoe club. For some reason, Chika Saito contacted Nomura, which led to a reconnection with Takasato, and subsequently, their involvement in the fraud.
“Nomura only received 10-20% of the profits as set by the Saito couple. Takasato and Nomura had a master-servant relationship dating back to university, and it seems Nomura could not refuse their invitation to participate. While relationships typically fade after graduation, now it’s easy to stay connected through social media. Perhaps their past connection continued in an undesirable way,” said a reporter covering the judicial beat for a national paper.
