Not final

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A Bugatti was also among the affected cars—though it was a significantly newer model.(Bild: EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER)

A car dealer from the Perg district (Upper Austria) is alleged to have defrauded customers of approximately 2.2 million euros. He is said to have pocketed the proceeds from the sales himself instead of passing them on to the owners. The cars were anything but ordinary: there was even a Bugatti among them. He was sentenced to two years in prison without probation; the verdict is not yet final.

2.154 million euros—a considerable sum. A car dealer from the Perg district is alleged to have pocketed this amount himself. The businessman had to defend himself against this charge on Monday at the Linz Regional Court. The cars in question were not VW Golfs and the like—they included a Bentley Brooklands, a Porsche 911 Targa, a Jaguar E-Type, a Maserati Merak SS, and even a Bugatti EB110 GT—all of them high-priced and sought-after classic collector’s models. 

Money Went to the Company
In at least eleven cases, the entrepreneur—who had a prior conviction for a similar offense—used the money to cover business expenses. He kept the car owners at bay with forged payment confirmations, telling them the money would reach them soon. His defense attorney emphasized that he had never enriched himself—in fact, he had barely paid himself a salary, as the prosecution also confirmed. The company ultimately slid into bankruptcy in the fall of 2024.

Self-Reported
The case came to light because the entrepreneur had turned himself in. Around noon, the judge handed down a sentence: two years without probation. Aggravating factors included his prior conviction for a similar offense and the high amount of damages. However, the verdict is not yet final.