Mitko Chavdarov from Velingrad Receives 6-Month Prison Sentence for Fake Euros

37-year-old Mitko Chavdarov from Velingrad has received a definitive 6-month prison sentence. The Appellate Court in Plovdiv upheld this ruling for a currency counterfeiting scheme. The defendant had purchased a donkey, paying with counterfeit euro banknotes.

The incident took place on June 29, 2024, in the region. Chavdarov had arranged for the animal with Mustafa Chobanov from the town of Kostandovo. The deal was completed at 21:40 with limited visibility. The seller failed to properly examine the banknotes provided to him in the darkness. The buyer handed over 10 counterfeit notes to his fellow citizen during the exchange. Chobanov only discovered the fraud after returning home. He examined the money in better light and noticed the absence of security features. All the banknotes had the same series and number. This immediately suggested the illegal origin of the received funds.

The victim immediately filed a report with the emergency number 112. Police detained Chavdarov shortly after the fraud report was filed. Before the investigating authorities, he explicitly denied knowing about the counterfeits. He claimed he had received the money from someone in Plovdiv. The amount was supposedly payment for wooden material he had sold earlier.

Initially, the District Court in Pazardzhik sentenced the perpetrator to 2 years in prison. However, Chavdarov appealed the decision to a higher judicial instance. After several legal episodes, his sentence was dramatically reduced to 6 months. The magistrates took into account various circumstances of the case in their final decision. During the proceedings, the defendant regularly failed to appear at scheduled hearings. He excused his absences before the court by citing his complete illiteracy. Due to this behavior, the Appellate Court in Plovdiv ordered the Velingrad resident's arrest. He was arrested by law enforcement on February 16 this year. The days spent in pre-trial detention will be deducted from his total sentence. As of now, Chavdarov has approximately 4 months remaining behind bars. The decision of the magistrates in Plovdiv is definitive and not subject to appeal. The convicted person will need to serve the remainder of his sentence daily.

The case is not isolated for the broader Pazardzhik and Plovdiv region. Law enforcement agencies are intensifying inspections for the distribution of counterfeit currency. Recently, a 43-year-old man was arrested for making purchases with counterfeit euros in Karlovo. He explained his actions by citing the temptation of poverty. The fight against counterfeit money in the region continues with large-scale operations by the National Investigation Service. During one intervention in Pazardzhik, 200,000 counterfeit euros were discovered. Police also seized a significant quantity of cocaine from the criminal group. Similar violations frequently involve foreign nationals from neighboring countries. Five men were recently arrested, including an Italian and a Romanian. They are accused of possessing counterfeit 100-euro banknotes. The problem of counterfeit money remains a significant challenge for economic security. Authorities are urging residents to exercise increased vigilance during cash transactions.

Source: novini247.com