Three men from Waalwijk, Eindhoven and Den Bosch have been jailed for up to fourteen months because they did not deliver ordered protective equipment against corona. One of them also received 240 hours of community service. According to the court in Den Bosch, they wrongly received a corona subsidy, with which they defrauded the government for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Moreover, they were part of a criminal organization.
While the corona pandemic prevailed and society suffered as a result, the suspects saw their opportunity to enrich themselves at the expense of others, according to the judge’s ruling. This started in April 2020, two months after the outbreak of the corona wave, and continued until May 2021.
Tens of thousands of euros transferred
An investigation showed that the men had offered materials such as disposable latex gloves, face masks, disinfection material and medical clothing for sale on various websites. Companies and individuals often transferred tens of thousands of euros for the purchase of these protection items.
In reality, the buyers – without knowing it – transferred the money to a bank account of a so-called money mule. That is someone who has his account used to transfer or launder criminal money to someone else. Once the money was transferred, the suspects withdrew the money in cash or transferred it to other bank accounts. The promised goods were never delivered.
Amsterdam main suspect
A total of seven men were convicted in connection with these practices. The main suspect was a 37-year-old Amsterdam man. This man was sentenced to two years in prison and is waiting for another year in prison if he commits another offense.
The man from Waalwijk (30) will be locked up for fourteen months. The court ruled that although he was only actively involved in two money laundering cases, he also played a major role in the gang. He faces another sixteen months in prison if he flouts agreements during his probationary period.
The 31-year-old from Eindhoven received ten months in prison and 20 months probation. De Bosschenaar receives a prison sentence of 108 days and must sit another 42 days extra for new criminal offenses. He was also sentenced to 240 hours of community service.