- Banker sentenced to prison for fraud and infidelity
The District Court of Mönchengladbach has sentenced a bank employee who embezzled over 900,000 euros from the accounts of elderly customers to a prison sentence. The 54-year-old from Mönchengladbach was found guilty of professional fraud, professional breach of trust, and professional forgery and sentenced to three years and four months in prison. Additionally, the proceeds of the crime were ordered to be confiscated.
At the start of the trial, the former wealth manager admitted his guilt. He confessed to raiding the accounts of mainly elderly and wealthy customers. "It was like an addiction for me," he said. He claimed that the bank and the customers made it easy for him.
The judge called the sentence "still lenient". The defendant, considering the high damage caused, "got off lightly". The judge attributed this mainly to his early confession. Among the defendant's tasks were also transfers and cancellations for bank customers. In 44 cases, he admitted to forging the necessary second signature and submitting the apparently authorized transfers.
The judge told the defendant, "you shamelessly exploited the blind trust of your customers". An 84-year-old customer, who testified in court, said the man had been his investment advisor for 20 years. He only found out about the high loss through the bank.
In the end, the 54-year-old asked the court for leniency. "Who benefits if I go to prison?", he asked. He calculated that he was economically ruined and would never have another chance to accumulate wealth. The trained bank clerk had worked at the credit institution for 33 years until his dismissal. His lawyer suggested a suspended sentence.
The defendant's lawyer argued for a suspended sentence, considering the potential harsh impacts of imprisonment on the bank clerk's future financial prospects. Despite the lenient sentence, the embezzler's actions led to an extended period of imprisonment.
