judgment - Nationwide ATMs destroyed - Prisons sentences imposed
Since they were allegedly planning to blow up ATMs nationwide, 15 men were sentenced to prison terms by the Bamberg Regional Court. A panel of judges imposed sentences ranging from one year and nine months on probation to five years and eleven months in prison. The men, aged between 23 and 43, had admitted to charges of aggravated robbery or accessory to such crimes. The judgment is not yet final.
The prosecution had accused the men, who were from the Netherlands and Belgium, of blowing up ATMs across the entire federal territory, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to obtain cash. Their alleged loot totaled more than 3.3 million Euro, while the damage caused by the explosions exceeded 5.5 million Euro. Since investigators also linked the suspects to cases in Zapfendorf and Forchheim in Upper Franconia, the case came before the Bamberg court.
The court had previously reached a plea bargain with 14 of the 16 defendants. They provided detailed statements regarding the charges, and the court, in consultation with the prosecution and defense, set a sentencing framework. The proceedings were significantly shortened as a result. Initially, hearings were scheduled until 2026.
For one defendant, who had previously spoken out, there was no formal plea deal. The proceedings against a 30-year-old who initially remained silent were separated. A verdict is still pending in his case.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany thoroughly investigated the case, as the men were accused of committing their crimes not only in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, but also in other parts of the country.
- Despite the plea bargains, the severity of their crimes, including the blow up of numerous ATMs and the resulting damages, ensured that the men received substantial prison sentences in Germany.
- The men, who hailed from different backgrounds and were aged between 23 and 43, had to face the consequences of their actions at the Bamberg Regional Court in Germany.
- The 30-year-old defendant, who initially remained silent, now faces a separate process in the court of Bamberg, Germany, which is yet to deliver its verdict.
- Regardless of their sentences, the incidences of criminality, such as planned ATM bombings, are a stark reminder of the need for increased security measures, not only in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, but across the entire country of Germany.
