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🇦🇹 Austria /Crime & Justice

Wind farm fraudster Hendrik Holt chooses escape over remorse

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • German fraudster Hendrik Holt failed to return to his Berlin prison after his 513th period of leave and has been on the run for a week.
  • Holt told prosecutors, "Hendrik Holt is not coming back," and posted on Instagram that he was sending greetings from Moscow.
  • German investigators have not said whether they genuinely believe he is in Russia.

Hendrik Holt did not leave German authorities guessing about his intentions. After failing to return from his 513th period of prison leave, the 36-year-old wind farm fraudster emailed prosecutors in Osnabrück: "Hendrik Holt is not coming back."

He then added a more theatrical message on Instagram: "Greetings from Moscow, it is very nice here, the caviar is fantastic." Holt has been missing from his Berlin prison cell for a week, according to the report.

Hendrik Holt is not coming back.

— Hendrik HoltEmail to prosecutors in Osnabrück after he failed to return from prison leave.

The escape has done little to dent his confidence. Holt is serving a six-year prison sentence, and he appeared in 2023 at one of his trials in Osnabrück. He received an additional eight months in prison for defaming Jens Spahn, Germany's former health minister and a member of the Christian Democratic Union.

German investigators have remained silent on whether they actually suspect Holt is in Russia. The possibility comes from Holt's own social-media claim, rather than a confirmation from authorities.

Greetings from Moscow, it is very nice here, the caviar is fantastic.

— Hendrik HoltInstagram post in which he claimed to be in Moscow.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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