Polish Fraudster Caught After Seven Years on the Run

A 58-year-old Polish man known as "Piotr O." has finally been arrested after evading authorities for seven years. He was caught in the United Kingdom and extradited to Poland last week, police confirmed. He had scammed millions of euros from investors, including famous Brazilian footballer Romário.

2 months Ago By Oskar Malec


Fake Investments and High-Profile Lies
Using multiple false identities and fake claims—including a supposed friendship with pop star Michael Jackson—Piotr O. managed to win the trust of investors. He promised high returns on fake investment deals and used forged documents and his personal charm to appear credible. Victims gave him large sums of money based on these lies.

Court Found Him Guilty in 2019
In 2019, a court in Lublin found Piotr O. guilty of 18 crimes, including fraud, forgery, and misrepresentation. The court also noted that he continued scamming people even while previously in prison. He was sentenced to 13 years in jail and ordered to return over €580,000 to his victims. However, he was already on the run when the verdict was announced.

Fraud History Dating Back to the 1990s
His criminal activities began in the 1990s. In 1997, he was first convicted for cashing fake checks worth over 22,000 złoty (€5,150). He repeated such crimes in Germany and the UK. One of the most high-profile cases occurred in 2003 when Romário lost nearly $5 million to him. The footballer was convinced to invest in a fake financial scheme, with promises of doubling his money.

Repeated Crimes Despite Jail Time
In 2006, Piotr O. was sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud and money laundering involving over €9.4 million. That sentence was later reduced to eight years, and he served only three. By 2013, he was again under investigation for cheating eight Polish entrepreneurs and a bank out of over €1.2 million. Even while in jail, he contacted victims through phone calls and letters, pretending to help them with loans or investments.
The 2019 case concluded his long criminal journey. Now caught and back in Poland, Piotr O. is serving a 15-year prison sentence.

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