Former Bundeswehr officer Franco A. has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison. The court found him guilty, among other things, of preparing a serious criminal offense endangering the state.
The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court sentenced former Bundeswehr officer Franco A. to five years and six months in prison. The court found the accused guilty of preparing a serious act of violence that was dangerous to the state.
Franco A. had led a double life for months, posing as a Syrian refugee and even successfully applying for asylum. In early 2017 he was arrested at the airport in Vienna. He had a gun with him and a list of politicians’ names, suggesting they might be possible targets of a planned attack.
Judges follow prosecutor’s request
With the verdict, the judges essentially followed the request of the public prosecutor. She had been sentenced to six years and three months in prison. In addition to the preparation of a serious act of violence that endangered the state, the Attorney General Franco A. had also accused violations of the Weapons, War Weapons Control and Explosives Act as well as theft and fraud. The court also followed the public prosecutor’s office in the areas of fraud and violations of the weapons law. Three months of the sentence now imposed are already considered to have been carried out.
