A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to a total of seven and a half years in prison by the Limassol Assize Court after admitting his role in the robbery of €100,000, in a scheme that used a cryptocurrency purchase as bait. The court handed down five years for robbery and two and a half years for money laundering, and issued an order for the confiscation of his assets.
A relationship of trust exploited
According to the facts presented to the court, the convicted man had known the complainant since 2022, having previously carried out cryptocurrency transactions together. Drawing on the trust built up between them, he arranged a fresh meeting on 23 December 2024 at a location he chose himself.
The complainant travelled there accompanied by his mother, carrying €100,000 to complete the agreed purchase. The 29-year-old and a second person then got into the car. When the complainant opened the bag containing the money, the defendant grabbed it, while his co-accused is alleged to have attacked the complainant, striking him repeatedly on the head and causing injuries. Despite the victim's attempt to stop them escaping, the 29-year-old managed to flee on foot with the cash.
Flight to the north and surrender
The man subsequently fled to the areas beyond government control and attempted to travel to Turkey by sea. He was arrested by the occupation authorities and later handed over to the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, where the warrant for his arrest was executed. He was brought before the court, where he chose to admit the charges against him.
The court's reasoning
In passing sentence, the Assize Court described the offence as an organised and methodical criminal act that relied on the deception of the victim rather than being spontaneous. It treated as aggravating factors the absence of any compensation to the complainant, the particularly high sum taken, and the fact that the money was neither recovered nor returned.
Among the mitigating factors, the court weighed the defendant's guilty plea, his intention to testify as a prosecution witness against his co-accused, his clean criminal record, and his personal and family circumstances. It stressed, however, that in offences of this kind the need to impose deterrent sentences outweighs the personal circumstances of the perpetrators.
Case continues for second defendant
The case remains before the Assize Court in relation to the second defendant, a 31-year-old who denies the charges he faces. The proceedings will continue with a hearing at which the evidence concerning his alleged role is expected to be presented.
