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eleven people sentenced to prison terms for Covid-19 aid fraud

The perpetrators of the fraud also received heavy fines, with more than 150,000 euros cumulatively, as well as half a million euros in damages to be paid to the Services and Payment Agency.

Eleven people were sentenced on Thursday, most of them to prison terms, by the criminal court for fraud in state aid to businesses during the Covid-19 epidemic.

These people had unduly received partial unemployment aid while was placed under confinement in 2020 and 2021. Among them, five business leaders from Alsace and one from the region, whose companies were most often in dormancy or in bankruptcy. simple empty shells.

The sentences range from four years and a fine of 30,000 euros for the most heavily sentenced, to five months suspended and a fine of 10,000 euros for the lightest sentence.

Multiple charges against the perpetrators

In total, a fine of 155,000 euros was imposed on those convicted, who will also have to pay nearly 548,000 euros in damages to be paid to the Services and Payment Agency, the public body responsible for paying damages. aid to businesses.

Real estate and a car were confiscated, as well as the sum of 236,000 euros.

The suspects, linked to the Turkish community, were prosecuted for multiple charges, such as aggravated money laundering, organized gang fraud, or even misuse of company assets for personal purposes.

A Colmar mechanic thus unduly received 108,000 euros, while a facade renovation contractor received 180,000 euros in undue aid.

The courts issued eight bans on running a business. Three other people prosecuted in this case were acquitted.

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