- Cheating man poses as FDP MP
A previously convicted imposter posed as an FDP MP and state secretary in Düsseldorf. He managed to secure test drives of expensive cars. He was recently convicted to nine months imprisonment, suspended, for fraud. The man had appealed the sentence from the local court.
However, the judge at the regional court quickly made it clear that, given his numerous previous convictions, "the sentence set by the local court is appropriate". The 56-year-old then withdrew his appeal and the local court's verdict became final.
In 2018, the man appeared at a Düsseldorf car dealership, wanting to test drive a Jaguar car. He claimed to be not only an FDP state parliamentarian but also a state secretary, then disappeared with the car, extending the test drive by another day. He claimed he wanted to buy the €46,000 car and even ordered a second Jaguar worth €116,000. When the "customer" didn't contact the dealership again, they tracked the car using GPS and recovered it, but the key was missing.
Eleven days later, the man expressed interest in an €86,000 Cadillac at another Düsseldorf dealership. Again, he posed as an FDP politician, disappeared for a test drive, and later left the SUV somewhere in the city.
His defense argued that no damage was done, as "he never intended to keep the cars, he just borrowed them to impress others". Low self-esteem was cited as the driving force. The regional court didn't buy it. "It's not acceptable that your client keeps committing fraud", the judge said.
The imposter's initial appeal against his sentence was heard at the Court of First Instance, but it was ultimately upheld by the regional court. Despite his attempts to pose as an FDP MP and state secretary, he was convicted in the Court of First Instance for fraud.
