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21-year-old from MV: Caught 30 times for fare evasion across Germany!
A 21-year-old from Neubrandenburg is reported for evading 30 times in Germany, and the hearing is cancelled.
21-year-old from MV: Caught 30 times for fare evasion across Germany!
A 21-year-old man from Stargard Castle took a very unconventional approach to traveling by train. According to nordkurier.de, this fare evader was caught on numerous trains during his unpaid journeys across Germany. The federal police were able to track him down in a total of around 30 cases after he traveled on express trains such as the ICE and S-Bahn between September 2024 and January 2025 without ever buying a ticket.
What's going on in the courtroom? The trial was actually supposed to take place at the Neubrandenburg district court, but the accused did not show up, which led to the hearing being canceled. Judge Torsten Pugell then announced that a new date would be set. The public prosecutor's office and the youth court assistance remained unaccomplished after the failed appointment.
Notoriety in the judiciary
The young man is no stranger to the justice system. He had previously had to answer for driving without a license. The juvenile court service currently has no contact with him as he has not appeared since January.
In the legal context, obtaining benefits by fraud, such as fare evasion, is a criminal offense. According to Section 265a of the German Criminal Code, it is considered a criminal offense that can be punished with a fine or imprisonment for up to three years. This is a “subterfuge” of services, which applies not only to transport services, but also to vending machines or access to certain events, as explained on anwalt.de.
Penalty and other consequences
In the worst case, the penalty for fraudulently obtaining benefits can result in a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine. If there are a large number of violations, as in the case of our passenger adventurer, the situation is even more explosive. The Federal Court of Justice decisions have made it clear that this is an offense that should not be taken lightly. A conviction could not only result in financial losses for the person concerned, but could also have a negative impact on future applications, as such convictions can be included in the police clearance certificate, according to die-anwalts-kanzlei.de.
Given that the 30 alleged incidents are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg, the man could potentially have many more undetected trips under his belt. It remains to be seen whether he can escape a possible penalty order.