Torture, attempted murder

Young lawyer as drug dealer for the mafia

The 33-year-old completed his year in court at Leoben Regional Court. He then became involved with an addictive drug group that used mafia-like methods.(Bild: zVg, Jauschowetz Christian)

A Styrian trainee lawyer supplemented his salary by dealing narcotics. He ultimately provided the police with the big fish behind the criminal business - including information about an attempted murder and pictures of torture!

His father founded one of the most renowned law firms for commercial law in Styria. The 33-year-old son was to follow in his footsteps, studied law at the University of Graz, did his year in court at the public prosecutor's office in Leoben and finally worked as a trainee lawyer in his father's law firm - so everything seemed to be going according to plan.

Trainee lawyer would prefer to be an artist
At least outwardly, because in July 2024, the young lawyer was taken away in handcuffs. He finally made a life confession to the police: he had been supplementing his salary with drug deals for over a year. "I couldn't even afford my fixed costs otherwise," said the Styrian, who would actually prefer to be a self-employed spray artist. He eventually gave the officers names and described mafia structures that operate throughout Europe - he was just a small piece of the puzzle.

Six suspected members of the drug group were caught by the investigators. Cell phone analyses then revealed considerable figures: kilos of cannabis and cocaine - imported from Spain - were sold by the suspects.

Drugs stashed in luxury hotels in Vienna 
"In the Vienna area, they initially stored the drugs in various luxury hotels or Airbnb," according to the investigation results. They then used couriers to distribute them. "In doing so, the accused acted according to a division of labor and hierarchical structure, with individual members of the group displaying massive criminal energy in the form of violent crimes."

Wild scenes took place in a hotel room in Vienna - a suspected attempted murder.(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

The officers found more than just pictures of narcotics on the cell phones of the mafia dealers: a young man lying on a couch in a hotel room, beaten unconscious and with his hands tied behind his back. Scenes reminiscent of torture methods.

Attempted murder: "Next time, go ahead"
Chat messages from that night: "Did you know that I almost killed Andi unintentionally?" - "Yes, while choking, right? Next time, go ahead. That inferior rat." Probably an altercation with a hostile group.

Viennese defense lawyers Philipp Wolm and Nikolaus Rast are defending in the sensational drug case.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Markus Wenzel, Gerhard Bartel)

Two young men are now being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder. 16 other men and women are accused of violating the Narcotics Act on a grand scale - two of them, the clients of the renowned lawyers Nikolaus Rast and Philipp Wolm, are already at large again.

Lawyer at large
Just like the 33-year-old trainee lawyer. His trial is being conducted separately. After confessing to the police and being released, he proudly posted on social media in July 2024: "free - free". In any case, he is no longer with the bar association.