A 24-year-old ex-influencer was sentenced on Wednesday in Paris to seven years in prison and a fine of 80,000 euros for setting up a Covid-19 aid scam for businesses.
The young man, whose online alias was "PA7", was found guilty in particular of fraud and laundering in an organized gang, also seeing himself inflicting a permanent ban on running a business and a 5-year ineligibility.
An example
"The court wanted to make an example, it made an example," regretted his lawyer Me Carole Foissy leaving the courtroom, indicating that he was studying the advisability of appealing.
Paul Antony, whose real name was, admitted having organised, from March 2020, a solidarity fund scam, by filling in falsified forms, on behalf of self-employed or self-employed people recruited using "advertisements" on social networks.
Many attempts failed but others worked: on the public money paid, he then took a commission.
Misappropriation of public funds
“The solidarity fund was intended, in the name of national solidarity, to support citizens affected by the pandemic”, noted the president of the court in rendering her decision, speaking of “opportunistic delinquency” which “damaged the social pact.
While the defendant disputed the amounts resulting from the investigations, claiming to have actually received a much lower sum, the court estimated that he was linked to nearly 700 fraudulent requests, for 33.8 million euros claimed and 7.5 million actually paid between March 2020 and July 2021. Or, with a commission of around 40%, more than 3 million euros for “PA7”, specified the president.
Arrested in Dubai
Arrested in July 2021 in Dubai, the young man was followed at the start of the trial by more than 51,000 subscribers on Snapchat and 13,000 on Instagram.
Julien M., who had accompanied his friend to Dubai in December 2020 where they "flamed" until the summer of 2021, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a fine of 80,000 euros, with the same ineligibility and ban to manage.
For having filled out aid files, participated in the “logistics” or the “laundering” of funds, three men and a woman were given sentences of two to four years, with fines of up to 80,000 euros .
Finally, a “client” of PA7 was given a six-month suspended sentence.
Other proceedings are continuing regarding the other alleged wrongful beneficiaries.
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