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Spanish Lottery Vendor Jailed for €4.7 Million Jackpot Fraud

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A Spanish court has sentenced a lottery vendor to three-and-a-half years in prison for defrauding the winner of a €4.7 million ($5.4 million) jackpot. According to court documents, the vendor discovered that a customer held the winning ticket in 2012 when asked to verify the numbers, but falsely claimed the ticket was not a winner.

The court found that the vendor then attempted to claim the jackpot for himself by alleging he had found the winning ticket in his lottery shop. However, lottery authorities withheld the payout and placed the ticket under custody while investigating its true ownership. Despite this, the vendor continued trying to obtain the prize over an eight-year period.

The legitimate ticket holder died in 2014 before receiving the winnings. The court ruled that the full jackpot should now be paid to the victim’s heirs and convicted the vendor of aggravated fraud. The judgment can still be appealed before Spain’s Supreme Court.

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Moldovan Oligarch Sentenced in $1bn ‘Theft of the Century’ Case

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Former Moldovan oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in a massive banking fraud scandal known as the “theft of the century.” The scheme, which took place between 2014 and 2015, involved the disappearance of $1bn—equivalent to about 12% of Moldova’s GDP at the time.

Prosecutors said Plahotniuc personally received over $40m from the fraud and used the funds for luxury purchases, including property and a private jet, as well as business and personal expenses. He has also been ordered to repay around $60m in damages to the state. Plahotniuc, who was not present in court, denies all charges, with his legal team calling the case politically motivated and confirming plans to appeal.

The fraud involved large loans being rapidly transferred to offshore companies, forcing the government to bail out affected banks and leaving a major hole in public finances. Plahotniuc fled the country in 2019 amid corruption allegations and was arrested in Greece in 2025 before being extradited to Moldova. Authorities say he used his political and financial influence to coordinate the scheme, which also involved other figures including businessman Ilan Shor.

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Deutsche Bank Offices Raided in Germany Over Money Laundering Probe

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German authorities have raided Deutsche Bank’s offices in Frankfurt and Berlin as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering, prosecutors said. The Office of the Federal Prosecutor said it is probing “unknown individuals and employees” at Germany’s largest lender, alongside the Federal Criminal Police Office, over past business relationships with foreign companies believed to have been used for illicit financial activities.

Officials declined to provide details on which employees or companies are under investigation, saying no further information could be disclosed about the transactions, their scale, or the entities involved. Deutsche Bank confirmed that searches were conducted at its premises but did not comment further. German media reports suggested potential links to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, claims his lawyers strongly denied.

Abramovich’s legal team said he has no connection to the investigation and is neither a suspect nor under scrutiny, adding that the raids relate solely to Deutsche Bank’s alleged failure to meet reporting obligations under Germany’s anti-money laundering rules. The case recalls a 2018 investigation when Deutsche Bank’s Frankfurt headquarters and other offices were searched over suspected assistance in setting up offshore accounts to move funds linked to criminal activity.

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