The Bobigny Criminal Court (Seine-Saint-Denis) sentenced six false locksmiths on Wednesday to terms of up to three years in prison for organized fraud.

Aged 25 to 54, the defendants were prosecuted for having carried out non-existent, poorly done or overcharged repairs, mainly in Ile-de-France and Gironde, in 2019 and 2020. They made their victims pay exorbitant bills.

About fifty individuals had filed a complaint, says AFP.

More than a million euros in revenue in 18 months

Noting the "particular gravity of the facts" and the large number of victims, the judges sentenced to four years in prison, one of which was suspended, the two leaders of this "pyramid structure" which generated more than one million euros. revenue in eighteen months.

A 33-year-old computer scientist who centralized intervention orders and his 25-year-old partner, a repeat offender who managed "employees" and harassed them to "make numbers", were imprisoned after the hearing, in January.

The prosecution had requested five years in prison against them, two of which were suspended for the computer scientist.

The two men are also banned for life from managing a company.

Interventions invoiced between 2,500 and 10,000 euros

Instead of the announced starting price of 70 euros, the victims found themselves forced to pay between 2,500 and 10,000 euros to open or repair their door.

These sums were paid to fictitious companies domiciled in Seine-Saint-Denis before being disseminated, in particular in Spain and Israel.

For the fifty victims identified by the investigators, especially elderly or vulnerable people, the damage was estimated during the investigation at nearly 100,000 euros.

Two “locksmiths”, who “intervened with the victims when they had no competence in the matter” noted the court, received ten and twelve months in prison suspended.

Two “straw managers” of fictitious companies were sentenced to two years in prison.

Miscellaneous facts

Vaucluse: The fake craftsman adds figures to his victim's checks and collects 7,000 euros

Miscellaneous facts

North: Fake cops rob victims of fake cops

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  • Miscellaneous Paris

  • Paris

  • Fraud

  • Bobigny

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