Angelil Accuser Sentenced

The California woman convicted of trying to extort money from Celine Dion‘s husband/manager, Rene Angelil, by claiming he raped her was sentenced January 13th to up to five years in prison.

“You got $2 million and you wanted more,” Judge Jackie Glass told Yun Kyeong Kwon Sung. “That’s why you’re standing here today.”

Sung protested the judge’s comment, saying Angelil’s attorneys distorted the facts to make her the villain instead of the victim. Glass then sentenced her to 28 months to five years in prison.

Sung claimed Angelil followed her to her room at the Imperial Palace hotel/casino in March 2000 and fondled her, but didn’t immediately report the incident to police.

Later that year, Angelil paid Sung and her husband, Ae Ho Kwon, $2 million in a confidential settlement to keep the claims quiet, although Angelil denied any wrongdoing.

In 2002, Sung claimed Angelil raped her and demanded at least $13.5 million to keep the incident under wraps, according to police. Sung was facing charges for writing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad checks to Las Vegas casinos at the time.

The woman also turned over items to police — including a dress she claimed was stained with Angelil’s DNA — to back her rape allegation, but police determined there was no case.

A jury found Sung guilty of attempted extortion and bribery in October 2004.

Her lawyer, Robert Langford, said he’ll appeal because the judge didn’t allow him to submit the dress as evidence of sexual contact between his client and Angelil.

Kwon is set to go trial next month on similar charges.