Samsung leader could go to prison for these crimes 1:41
Seoul / Hong Kong (CNN Business) -
Samsung vice president Lee Jae-yong will return to prison, casting doubt on the future of the giant tech company's leadership.
On Monday, the Seoul High Court in South Korea sentenced Lee to two and a half years behind bars after finding him guilty of embezzlement and bribery.
He was arrested after the verdict.
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It's the latest twist in a controversy that has followed Samsung for years.
Lee, also known as Jay Y. Lee, was embroiled in a huge influence peddling scandal that brought down the government of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
Park herself will spend two decades in prison in connection with the case.
Lee, meanwhile, was found guilty of bribery and other corruption charges in 2017 and sentenced to five years in prison at the time.
But he was released less than a year later, when an appeals court dismissed some of the charges and suspended his sentence.
Critical moment for Sumsung
This latest ruling is the result of a new trial ordered by the country's Supreme Court.
Lee's return to prison comes at a critical time for Samsung.
His father, Lee Kun-hee, the president of the company, died last year.
Lee Sr. had been in a coma since he suffered a heart attack in 2014, but he remained the incumbent president of the company.
His son had been operating as the de facto leader of Samsung.
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Samsung declined to comment on the ruling, referring to a statement from Lee's attorneys.
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"This case is, in essence, a violation of the corporation's rights to liberty and property by the former president abusing her power," said Injae Lee, a lawyer who leads the defense team for the company's vice president.
"I find the court's decision regrettable."
However, the company's shares plunged in Seoul following the announcement.
Shares of Samsung fell almost 3.8%.
Lee can appeal if he wishes, although it was not immediately clear whether he intends to do so.
Lee's legal troubles are not over yet either.
He faces a separate lawsuit over a controversial 2015 merger that helped him tighten his grip on the company.
Eleven Samsung executives, including Lee, were indicted last year on charges that include illegal transactions, stock manipulation and perjury.
That case is still pending.
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