TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two former members of the New Taipei City Fire Department, who were sentenced to one year and two months prison sentences for attempting to extort NT$70.6 million (US$2.3 million) from McDonald’s in 2016, appeared in court again on Wednesday (April 26) as prosecutors argued for a harsher sentence.

The prosecution said the husband and wife pair failed to show remorse after the initial trial, and that they had bragged to their friends about buying vehicles and property with the money they hoped to extort from the fast food chain per the Liberty Times. The pair were dismissed from the Fire Department in 2020.

The firefighting officials began the extortion attempt after their son was injured at a New Taipei McDonald’s in 2016, using their authority to launch nationwide enquiries into McDonald’s safety inspection records with the goal of extorting enough money to retire, UDN reported. On Wednesday, the lawyer representing McDonald’s at the High Court proceedings said the pair logged more than 300 records of fire safety violations against the fast-food chain, in an attempt to extort over 10,000 times the medical expenses their son had incurred.

The prosecution added that the pair had reduced their initial demands to NT$37.8 million, said they would accept NT$8.8 million of the payment in meal coupons, and continued to reduce their demands as it became clear McDonald’s would not pay. McDonald’s lawyers have recommended sentence of up to seven years for the couple.

The court will issue a judgement on July 25.