Stupid move!

BKA buys counterfeit money, postman steals parcel

A postal worker in Vienna took a liking to a parcel containing counterfeit money. He did not know who had really ordered it.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Arne Dedert (Symbolbild))

A 26-year-old in Vienna is facing one to ten years in prison after ordering counterfeit money. But he is not the only one to face criminal prosecution for his illegal purchase. A curious coincidence came to light during his trial.

"Young people often don't know that this is not a trivial offense, but a criminal offense that carries a penalty of one to ten years in prison," says lawyer Sascha Flatz in the trial against a 26-year-old Austrian. "Many people think it's like stealing chocolate." The young man ordered counterfeit money online and the package was sniffed out by customs sniffer dogs.

A postal worker in Vienna took a liking to a parcel containing counterfeit money. He did not know who the real customer was.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Arne Dedert (Symbolbild))

Investigators rang the doorbell at the apartment
"I was home alone for a long time and got onto the Darknet out of boredom. There I came across the blog of a black money dealer with good reviews." Out of curiosity, the Viennese made a test purchase. He later ordered 30 twenties and 30 fifties for 350 euros. He did not want to put the coins into circulation. However, this question did not even arise - instead of the letter carrier, investigators rang his doorbell. The confessed defendant revealed his source to the officers.

Lawyer Sascha Flatz represented the 26-year-old counterfeit money purchaser. It remains to be seen whether the accused postman will also become his client.

(Bild: zVg)

Now the story becomes curious: the Federal Criminal Police Office, Counterfeit Money Office, then carried out an undercover operation to gain knowledge about the origin and quality of the counterfeit banknotes and to investigate possible backers. The BKA ordered 20 counterfeit 20- and 50-euro banknotes from a darknet provider and paid for the purchase using bitcoins. The bills were probably sent from Belgium.

Young people are often unaware that counterfeit money is not a trivial offense, but a criminal offense punishable by one to ten years in prison.

Sascha Flatz in seinem Plädoyer

The postman with the long fingers is reported to the police
The highlight: this parcel did not arrive either. A Viennese postal worker stole the order from the Federal Criminal Police Office of all places and took the parcel with the counterfeit money instead of putting it in the post box. The postman with the long fingers was reported to the police. What a shame! A package of counterfeit money ordered by the BKA also disappeared in Belgium. Only the third banknote order actually reached the investigators.  

The flower thief from Austrian Post still has his trial ahead of him, while the accused 26-year-old has already been sentenced by the court of lay assessors. And - no doubt also due to his polite and remorseful demeanor during the trial - he got off with a lenient sentence of one year's conditional imprisonment, which is not legally binding. "This means he can take up his promised job," says lawyer Flatz with relief.