Trial in Innsbruck

Fake employment contract for an apartment: 31 months in prison!

A 20-year-old Tyrolean allegedly used fraud to get a roof over his head. He has now been presented with a hefty "bill" for this. Several suspended prison sentences were also revoked.

The suit fitted perfectly - and the 20-year-old, who had to sit in front of judge Andrea Steffan in Innsbruck, also appeared respectable at first glance. But things must have gone wrong in the Tyrolean's life. The accused has already come close to an unconditional prison sentence several times due to various frauds. "But now the end of the line has been reached," said the judge.

Judge Andrea Steffan(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Lots of criminal energy for a dream
Despite several repossessions and no real regular job, the 20-year-old wanted to realize his dream of owning his own apartment in Zillertal in July. But the accused apparently gave free rein to his criminal energy. "In order to conclude the rental agreement, he falsified a service contract and submitted a screenshot with the confirmation of transfer of the deposit, which was not carried out," explained the public prosecutor.

A representative of my bank advisor told me on the phone that it was not a problem if I overdrew my account.

Der Angeklagte

He hadn't looked at the employment contract carefully and simply passed it on. He also wanted to carry out the transfer. "A representative of my bank advisor told me on the phone that it's not a problem if I overdraw my account," the 20-year-old tried to convince the judge.

Judgment not yet final
The judge did not believe him, especially as WhatsApp chats also proved him to be a fraud. The defendant was sentenced to one year in prison for aggravated fraud, with a further 19 months revoked from conditionally suspended prison sentences. He must also pay 3440 euros to the landlord. Not legally binding.