In April 2023, four men between the ages of 20 and 26 in Vienna wanted to put an end to their bleak financial situation. They spied on a casino and planned an armed robbery. Among the perpetrators is a once ambitious martial artist who fought for Austria. The coup in Favoriten went wrong because security fired a blank shot.
He was a boxer and also played for Austria in international tournaments. But the 26-year-old father of one daughter found himself on the wrong track after divorcing his wife. On Thursday, the former athlete had to appear before the Vienna Regional Court with two accomplices for aggravated robbery. A fourth man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in November 2023. The reason: on April 17, 2023, the quartet attacked employees of the Monte Laa casino in Vienna as they left the casino around 3:15 am.
“In recent weeks they have spied on the house three times and watched when and how the employees left the building,” the public prosecutor reports. “They divided themselves into two teams, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas.” One duo had a gas pistol, the other an airsoft pistol. The employees surprised you when you went up the stairs: “Keep your hands behind your head and keep walking, then nothing will happen,” one of the perpetrators shouted, in an attempt to get the victims to open the door again. But because one of the employees, a security guard, was armed and fired a warning shot, the four robbers fled.
“We thought we would get some quick money that way,” the ex-boxer says, appearing contrite in the grand jury room. Drug addiction, depression and financial problems were the trigger: “I was persuaded to do it.” The fourth perpetrator, who had already been convicted of the crime, said: “You don’t have to do anything, just be there so you’re there.” the situation looks serious.” So I did and he joined in.
Relevant criminal record
It is not the first crime involving the former martial artist. Last year he was sentenced to a 15-month suspended prison sentence in Wiener Neustadt for property damage, coercion and theft. And this time too, the charges again include a coercive crime. However, the defendant pleads not guilty: “I try to hurt as few people around me as possible – sentences pending.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
