Heist, Belgian style: brothers order 9.000 boxes of chocolates in company's name but pocket the profits

The correctional court of Dendermonde, East Flanders province, was the scene of a trial on Monday which can only be described as 'quintessentially Belgian'. Two brothers risk seven months and one year of jail time respectively for fraud, after committing a chocolate-themed heist. The pair had ordered €80.000 worth of chocolate bonbons in the name of a chocolatier, which they then sold. They pocketed the proceeds.

The brothers are by no means first-time offenders. They were already known for fraud in Dendermonde, but this time they chose to strike in Kuurne, West Flanders province. In the name of a local chocolate company, they ordered no less than 9.000 boxes of chocolates worth 80.000 euros. However, the delicacies were never delivered to Kuurne.

The duo sold the boxes themselves and pocketed the proceeds. However, their plan did not quite work out as sales did not go as smoothly as hoped, meaning they had to throw away 5.000 boxes because the expiry date had passed. "One defendant says his brother had thought of everything, the second defendant indeed took everything upon himself and put his brother out of business", the prosecutor said on Monday. "But both played a role in the scam. Therefore, I ask seven months' effective jail time for the first defendant and one year for the second."

Sentencing on October 24.

(BRV)

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