Blackmail goes wrong: ex-soldier kills German farmer and goes to prison

From Michael Evers

Roermond (Netherlands) - A court in the Dutch city of Roermond has sentenced three former US soldiers and a Swiss businessman to prison in the trial for the manslaughter of a German organic farmer .

The ex-US soldier responsible for the farmer's death received the highest sentence. (symbolic image)
The ex-US soldier responsible for the farmer's death received the highest sentence. (symbolic image)  © 123rf/stockstudio44
In its verdict, the court considered it proven that the German was killed during an attempt by the three former members of the army to collect 450,000 euros allegedly owed by the Swiss man.

The crime took place in the Dutch border town of Bergen, not far from Kevelaer on the Lower Rhine.

The court sentenced a 42-year-old American, who allegedly killed the German, to 17 years and six months in prison.

The two other Americans involved in the blackmail attempt received sentences of one and a half and five years and four months in prison. The businessman was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

The blackmail had a business background

The police were later able to reconstruct the men's communication using prepaid cell phones.
The police were later able to reconstruct the men's communication using prepaid cell phones.  © Christoph Reichwein/dpa

The victim was involved in a fruit-growing business in Macedonia. The Swiss man wanted to take over this business and collect an alleged debt from the German beforehand.

The attempt to put the 53-year-old under massive pressure in November 2019, which got out of hand, was preceded by months of preparations by the criminals flown in from the USA.

According to the indictment, the Americans, who apparently often hired themselves out as unscrupulous money collectors, were offered almost 50,000 euros each if they could get the German to pay his alleged debt.

According to the indictment, the perpetrators broke into the farmer's home early in the morning on the day of the crime, tied him up, tortured him and stabbed him until he died.