A detainee who was earlier convicted of rape, robbery and pickpocketing got four more years for a firewood scam. The young man, being in detention, placed announcements of firewood sale on social networking sites at lower prices. But the so-called clients remained without firewood and also without money, IPN reports.

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said the 24-year-old man from Ungheni, who is serving time in the penitentiary in Brănești, committed the wrongdoings since the end of 2021 until the spring of 2022. The clients contacted him through Whatsapp and in some of the cases he offered them prices by even 250 lei per cubic meter of wood lower than the market prices. Through banks, ATMs and phone applications, they transferred 2,800 to 5,000 lei to the man and remained both without the advance and without wood.

The victims were from different districts of the country, including Cimișlia, Hâncești, Nisporeni, and Ștefan Vodă. The convict used six names to present himself and asked to transfer the money to four different accounts that didn’t belong to him. He even transmitted to clients photos of identity cards and driver’s licenses of other persons, who lost the IDs and used other papers, presenting these as his.

He admitted his guilt and benefitted from a reduction in the jail term. He will not serve a total of 14 years in jail, together with the previous sentence.