Underworld figure Raimo Tienhaara gets conditional sentence for new crimes after decade-long break

Raimo Tienhaara, once a well-known figure in Finland's underworld, has been sentenced to a conditional prison term for new offenses committed after a significant break from criminal activity. The court handed down a one-year and nine-month conditional sentence for aggravated tax fraud, smuggling, and alcohol offenses spanning from 2021 to 2023.

Tienhaara was found to be involved in smuggling chains for cigarettes, alcohol, and snus, arranging storage, receiving goods, and distributing them within Finland. The court detailed that he alone or with others organized the import of over 600,000 cigarettes, 660 liters of wine, 148 liters of spirits, and 181 liters of beer. Additionally, he was involved in importing or attempting to import 50 kilograms of snus.

Despite his extensive criminal past, which includes decades of offenses and lengthy prison sentences, Tienhaara denied the charges. The court ordered him to pay over 220,000 euros in taxes evaded through his crimes, a sum he must share with other previously convicted individuals. The court considered the length of the sentence, which might have suggested an unconditional term, but ultimately decided on a conditional sentence.

This decision was based on the considerable time elapsed since Tienhaara's previous serious offenses. The court noted that over ten years had passed since his prior convictions before the current crimes were committed. His last significant prison sentence, 11.5 years, was for his role as a ringleader in a drug ring in the early 2010s. Tienhaara gained notoriety in the 1990s, receiving a ten-year drug sentence and later an eleven-year sentence for drug and violent crimes, including orchestrating attacks against police.

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Vaikka Tienhaara on ennen nyt kysymyksessä olevaa tekoa syyllistynyt lukuisiin vakaviin rikoksiin, on aikaisimmista rikoksista ja viimeisimmästäkin niitä koskevasta tuomiosta kulunut yli kymmenen vuotta ennen nyt kysymyksessä olevaa törkeää petosta