€800,000 Embezzled?

Manager of Fitness Chain Arrested

The former manager of the gyms is suspected of embezzling money.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

From the gym to jail. In Steyr, Upper Austria, the former authorized signatory of the “Happy Fit” fitness chain was arrested. The woman is suspected of embezzling approximately 800,000 euros. The investigation is ongoing.

As recently as June, the company founded by Sven Decker had parted ways with the long-time manager. As the OÖN first reported, the well-known fitness chain then filed a complaint against the woman. Now it appears the investigation has yielded strong grounds for suspicion.

A motion for pretrial detention was filed
On Tuesday, the woman was arrested at the request of the Steyr District Attorney’s Office. She is alleged to have embezzled approximately 800,000 euros. A motion for pretrial detention has been filed. Since 2020, the manager is said to have repeatedly paid herself salary advances, even though she was not authorized to do so.

Sold the Boss’s Furniture
Things took a curious turn this past September. “The woman is alleged to have sold furniture online from an apartment belonging to the company’s founder,” explained Andreas Pechatschek, spokesperson for the Steyr District Attorney’s Office, in response to a query from “Krone.” She is also accused of simply transferring an additional 200,000 euros from the company’s account to her personal account.

Happy-Fit has approximately 33,000 members, 130 employees, and most recently generated 17 million euros in revenue with its fitness centers in Upper and Lower Austria.