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Millions with phantom tests! Berlin entrepreneur receives prison sentence
Entrepreneur receives four and a half years in prison for corona test fraud in Berlin, but is allowed to celebrate Christmas with his family.
Millions with phantom tests! Berlin entrepreneur receives prison sentence
In Berlin, an unscrupulous entrepreneur took advantage of the corona pandemic to swindle millions. The 39-year-old Kastriot T., originally from Kosovo and now with a German passport, used the lax regulations to his advantage. He stole almost 4 million euros by not carrying out corona tests. But before the handcuffs clicked, he was in court.
Again Image report revealed, he founded not just one, but a whole series of supposed test centers in Berlin. His fraudulent network spanned the entire city, with addresses in Kreuzberg, Moabit, Reinickendorf and Neukölln. The ease with which they could collect money from the government without conducting real tests encouraged not only him but others to get into the business.
The great fraud
According to the indictment, Kastriot T. demanded compensation of almost 8 million euros for an incredible 725,591 alleged test swabs. In the end he bagged almost 4 million euros. The minimal controls on the number of corona tests made it easy for fraudsters to carry out their schemes. His name “Marco De Luca” was often found on forged documents. The criminal eventually pleaded guilty, confessed his shame and simply asked to spend Christmas with his family.
Judgment and consequences
His sentence is four and a half years in prison. But the justice system was merciful: he was allowed to spend the Christmas season with his loved ones, but had to appear at the local police station twice a week. The case of Kastriot T. is not an isolated case; Berlin is notorious for such criminal activities related to the pandemic, such as Picture reported. There are almost 400 similar cases in the capital alone, a sad record.
Die Staatsanwaltschaft forderte eine härtere Strafe, nämlich fünfeinhalb Jahre Gefängnis inklusiver Haftfortdauer. But in the end the judge decided on a slightly lighter sentence. Still, it remains one fate in a long list of fraud cases that have rocked the German capital during the pandemic and left many stunned.