German Couple Accused of Stealing €1.9M from Parking Meters Over a Decade
A shocking theft case has rocked the German city of Kempten after a former employee and his wife allegedly stole €1.9 million from parking meters over a decade. The scandal only came to light in late 2025, despite the crimes beginning as early as 2015. The case even made its way into a national TV quiz show before the full extent of the fraud was uncovered. The thefts were carried out by a 40-year-old man, a city employee with permanent access to parking meter keys, and his 38-year-old wife. Over roughly ten years, the couple is accused of taking coins from meters and either depositing the money into their own accounts or exchanging it for vouchers via change machines. Prosecutors allege they committed 335 separate acts of 'commercial-scale joint theft'.
The fraud went undetected until November 2025, when authorities finally uncovered the scheme. By then, the couple had already been in custody for four months. Investigators found that €584,000 of the stolen amount fell under the statute of limitations, covering thefts from 2015 to 2020. The remaining €1.34 million, stolen between 2020 and 2025, remains recoverable.
The city of Kempten is now pushing for asset confiscation through the public prosecutor's office. The Landgericht Kempten will decide on the indictment and whether the full €1.9 million can be reclaimed. Interestingly, the case had already been referenced in ARD's Quizduell Olymp on March 27, 2023, in a segment running from 16:45 to 18:00—long before the full extent of the scandal was known. The couple remains in pre-trial detention while the court examines the prosecution's request for asset forfeiture. If successful, the city could recover the entire stolen sum, despite part of it being time-barred. The case highlights how long-running financial crimes can remain hidden before coming to light.
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