An engineer defrauds "AMS" of 60,000 euros!
A 54-year-old Austrian engineer was convicted of serious fraud after receiving Notstandshilfe (emergency assistance granted after the end of the unemployment benefit period) for years, despite having additional income that exceeded the permissible limit.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the man received approximately 1,400 euros per month from AMS (Austrian Labor Market Service), while simultaneously working as an independent newspaper distributor, earning over 1,000 euros per month, which he did not declare. The total losses incurred by AMS are estimated at 60,000 euros.
The engineer, who is a father of two and owns two properties in Vienna and a house in Burgenland, is drowning in debts amounting to 270,000 euros. He justified his actions by a legal misunderstanding. He stated that he received information from an official at the distribution company of the Mediaprint group, who informed him that he could deduct travel expenses (Kilometergeld) from his income. Accordingly, he thought he was still below the minimum additional income that allows for assistance.
But the court, presided over by Judge Markus Müller, questioned the credibility of his statements, especially with the contradictions in his claims about the distances he travels daily, which sometimes reach more than 120 kilometers. The judge raised additional questions about why he did not inform AMS of his income, to which the defendant replied that he "feared things would become complicated."
The prosecution revealed that the accused stated during the investigations that he consulted a person named Gottfried Küssel, known for his affiliation with the far right, even though he is not a lawyer, but the accused only attended "a lecture on electricity contracts" for him.
At the end of the session, the engineer partially admitted his wrongdoing, but he tried to present it as a justification rather than a deliberate crime. The court did not consider his statement a full confession, but took into account his clean record. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison with a suspended sentence, in addition to a fine of 960 euros, and ordered the full amount he obtained through fraud to be confiscated.
Since neither the defendant nor the prosecution objected, the ruling has become final. The court allowed him to pay the amount in installments, warning him against defaulting on the payment, otherwise the full amount will be demanded immediately.