Remand in custody

“Gentle fraudster” caused 100,000 in damage

The handcuffs clicked for the 55-year-old fraudster. (symbolic image)

(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut, Symbolbild)

Sentenced to 16 years in prison in Italy, a 55-year-old fraudster did not return to prison after being released. He is believed to have caused several hundred thousand euros in damage in Austria and Germany.

A 55-year-old Italian man did not return to prison after spending time in prison, but instead, according to his own statements, the "gentle fraudster" went abroad. The runaway has now been caught in Villach. Based on a report that the fraudster had not paid for two apartments, the officers carried out various investigations.

Vehicles leased and taken to Italy
"In the course of this, it was established that three vehicles had been registered to the Italian citizen within a week and taken to Italy," the police say: "An inquiry in Italy regarding the person to whom the leasing contracts were issued was initially negative and it was possible to establish that the ID presented was wanted in Italy as stolen."

After further investigations, it was established that the Italian had again leased a car in Wr. Neustadt under another pseudonym. "Based on these findings, the Italian citizen was arrested on November 29 by officers from the Villach police station in cooperation with officers from the Lower Austria Criminal Police Office and the Wiener Neustadt police station while collecting a vehicle in Wiener Neustadt," the police report. 

"Gentle fraudster" caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage
In the course of the interrogation, the true identity was clarified. The man stated that he was a "gentle fraudster" and had financed his livelihood with various scams in Germany and Austria until his arrest. "After consulting and checking his alias data, it was determined that the 55-year-old is currently wanted for around 200 similar offenses in Germany. The amount of damage currently known in Austria amounts to several hundred thousand euros. The amount of damage in Germany is likely to be many times higher." Investigations are continuing and the 55-year-old is currently in custody.