More witnesses needed

Last member of the fast food gangsters in court

McDonalds was the gangsters' favorite place to eat - but not for a snack in between.

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel/Daniel Scharinger)

A professional gang of burglars targeted local fast food outlets, particularly the McDonalds chain, in 2022. A 31-year-old Kosovan was believed to be the last fugitive - whether this is true will not be clear until October at the earliest. No verdict was reached today, Wednesday, July 17 - more witnesses are needed.

The crime of commercial aggravated theft by burglary as part of a criminal organization - this is what the judiciary calls what the gang of Kosovars committed in Upper Austria in the autumn of 2022. A 31-year-old man, represented by lawyer Andreas Mauhart, was the last member to go unpunished. 

48,000 euros charged
Specifically, on September 15 and October 9, eight professional thieves first attempted to steal a safe containing around 25,000 euros from the McDonalds branch in Haag am Hausruck. On their second attempt, they finally managed to open the safe with an angle grinder and stole around 23,000 euros in cash. 

Highly professional approach
No effort was spared: despite a residence ban, vehicles were rented with forged documents, lookouts were assigned and GPS finders were used to track down police patrols. Regardless of the losses, the damage to the other affected branches usually exceeded the loot many times over. 

Clues, but no evidence
Seven members of the Kosovar professional gang were already convicted in March 2023, only one was still a fugitive at the time. Today, a 31-year-old Kosovar had to answer to the Wels Regional Court for the above-mentioned crime. According to the indictment, he lived in a conspiratorial apartment in Wels together with other previously convicted accomplices and drove the getaway car, which was registered to his mother-in-law.

Witnesses exonerate the accused
However, the accomplices, who were connected via video link from Suben prison, both made it clear that they did not know the accused in any way. Originally it had been said that the 31-year-old had led the operation in Haag am Hausruck under an alias and had even instigated the others to do so. However, there were serious doubts about this: One witness, for example, claimed that the wanted man was actually a previously unknown Serbian trafficker who had instigated the men to commit the burglaries. But that was not certain either.

In the end, the trial was adjourned: photos on the defendant's sister's cell phone are supposed to prove that he was at home in Kosovo instead of in the Innviertel region on the day of the crime. Further witnesses will also be summoned and the trial will continue on October 3. If he is actually found guilty, the 31-year-old faces six months to five years in prison, but he denied any involvement ...