Agency Report
A German entrepreneur has been sentenced to several years in prison for tax evasion after selling protective masks worth millions during the coronavirus crisis.
The Munich Regional Court’s economic crimes division on Wednesday sentenced the 39-year-old to five years and 10 months in prison for nine counts of tax evasion, as well as illegal possession of a firearm and obtaining false official identification documents.
The verdict came after an agreement following the defendant’s confession in court. It is not yet final.
The court also ordered the defendant and other parties involved to pay compensation equal in amount to the evaded taxes.
The defendant, from Gauting in the southern state of Bavaria, procured 5 million FFP2 masks for the German Health Ministry in 2020 and delivered them at a price of around €22 million ($26 million).
However, he did not declare this correctly in his tax return, failing to pay €10.7 million in taxes.
A court spokeswoman said the presiding judge ruled that the defendant’s need for recognition and luxurious lifestyle had led him astray. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying a loaded revolver and ammunition, as well as two forged Slovenian identity cards.
