Arrested in Sassari for the crimes of self-laundering, credit card fraud, and aggravated home invasion. The Carabinieri carried out the arrest last Tuesday, following an investigation led by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from an elderly woman who reported that numerous withdrawals totaling 4,500 euros had been made from her bank account without her knowledge .
Officers discovered that the arrested man, in collaboration with an accomplice, had planned the crime between January and February, a period during which the two were busy with construction work at the victim's home. The suspects took advantage of the woman's vulnerable state, as she suffered from hearing loss and difficulty walking.
According to the reconstruction, the couple stole the 90-year-old's ATM card to make cash withdrawals. At the same time, they took a small metal box containing several valuables, to which the elderly woman is particularly attached as they represent memories of a lifetime. The Carabinieri recovered much of the stolen goods at several gold-buying shops in Sassari , where the two suspects had gone to cash in on the thefts, thus establishing the crime of self-laundering. A gold watch, earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets, all made of gold, were recovered, all valued at approximately €5,000.
On February 26, officers arrested the accomplice red-handed, caught near a cash-for-gold shop while attempting to sell part of the stolen goods. The two men also attempted to cover their tracks by deleting their numbers from the victim's phone book and damaging the home's video surveillance system. Both are under house arrest.