Three key members in a loan shark ring pleaded Tuesday with the Tokyo High Court to reduce their prison terms for laundering money for their group, affiliated with Yamaguchi-gumi, the nation's largest underworld syndicate.

The three men, members of the former Goryokai, were found guilty of hiding and laundering 9.4 billion yen earned through criminal means.

In February, the Tokyo District Court sentenced group leader Susumu Kajiyama, 56, to seven years in prison and a fine of 30 million yen.

In the same month, Hirokatsu Okuno, 28, was sentenced to five years with a 5 million yen fine.

In January, Toshikazu Matsuzaki, a senior member of the defunct Goryokai -- now known as Nidaime Mio-gumi -- was also slapped with five years in prison and a fine of 20 million yen.

Both the defendants and the prosecutors appealed the rulings.

During the opening session of the appellate trial Tuesday, the defendants and their lawyers stressed the human qualities of the three men.

The ruling is scheduled to be handed down in November.

Kajiyama told the court that while he was not dissatisfied with the first ruling, he was asking for leniency.

"I would like to be released (from prison) as soon as possible so that I can be rehabilitated back into society," Kajiyama said.