Five-year sentence for usury in Rzeszów
The Regional Court in Rzeszów has sentenced an entrepreneur to 5 years in prison for operating an illegal lending scheme. The verdict is not yet final.
Five-year sentence for usury in Rzeszów
The Regional Court in Rzeszów ruled on Thursday that entrepreneur Jarosław K. should receive a five-year custodial sentence for operating an illegal lending scheme. The decision has not yet become legally binding.
Ten complainants came forward during the proceedings. One of them, a man named Waldemar, found himself in financial difficulties and agreed to repay more than 140,000 zloty. He planned to settle the debt by selling his house, but it turned out that the contract contained a clause requiring the lender's approval for any property transactions.
Another victim, Krystyna, needed funds to expand her business. The obligation she incurred with Jarosław K. caught her in an endless spiral of debt.
Presiding judge Mariusz Sztorc noted that the convicted man deliberately selected people without access to bank credit. Formally, he issued them loans for specific amounts, but in fact he provided smaller sums, spread out in instalments. Additionally, he charged fees at such a high level that they were deemed usurious.
In the court's view, the true purpose of the defendant's activities was not to profit from interest but to seize his clients' real property.
Jarosław K. did not appear at the announcement of the verdict. His lawyer, Sławomir Pawłowski, demanded an acquittal. He argued that for large sums, the need for security is standard practice, and the disbursement in tranches resulted from the procedure for establishing a mortgage and other guarantees.
Source: TVP Rzeszów
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)