11,400 euros are gone

Act of revenge out of love: defendant in the role of victim

The trial took place at St. Pölten Regional Court.(Bild: Huber Patrick)

Waldviertel man on trial for serious fraud in St. Pölten: The 52-year-old had stolen 11,400 euros from an internet acquaintance - partial prison sentence (not final).

He was missing for seven years. Presumably for good reason, as the man from Waldviertel was wanted for serious fraud. Now the 52-year-old has been brought to trial at St. Pölten Provincial Court.

His appearance in this case resembles an apparition. Eloquent and never at a loss for an answer, he sees himself in the role of the innocent victim. He is not a fraudster and has long since repaid his debts. But nobody is interested in his truth. He cannot provide any proof of this. Ongoing execution proceedings paint a different picture.

I paid the money back in cash. Unfortunately, I have no proof of that. I didn't have the handover confirmed.

Angeklagter beim Prozess in St. Pölten

He hides his failed existence behind "fantastic" stories. His two previous convictions for robbery, for example: After his girlfriend was kidnapped in the Czech Republic, he had been forced to commit a robbery.

Man spent time in Ukraine and Bulgaria
In the case of the aggravated fraud in spring 2017, the defendant is seeking revenge for unfulfilled love. It all started with an internet acquaintance. The 52-year-old met a woman from the district of Amstetten. They met, "but only for leisure activities", as the man from Waldviertel emphasizes. After a short time, he ran into a financial bottleneck and was also pursued by loan sharks.

The accused borrowed money from his acquaintance. He received a total of 11,400 euros in cash for an apartment in Kiev and a navigation system. The 47-year-old took out a loan for this. A joint visit to a police station in the district of Melk also took place for security purposes.

Defendant sentenced to prison
So that she would not fall for a fraudster of the "marriage swindler" variety. A debtor's agreement was also drawn up. It didn't help. The woman never saw the money again. Now the 52-year-old was sentenced to twelve months in prison - the defense immediately filed an appeal against the verdict.