The case in summary A man in his 40s has been sentenced to six years in prison for operating prostitution through his property company over a period of more than three years. Prostitution took place in several cities in Western Norway, and the sale of sexual services generated a profit of over NOK 7.4 million. The man received payment both in cash and via Vipps, and hid the origin of the money by recording the income as legal rental of the company’s apartments. In addition to the prison sentence, the man has over NOK 3.3 million confiscated and several art prints, and is denied the right to be an owner or manager of a Norwegian company for five years. A woman was also sentenced in the same case to one year and two months in prison. The man is now considering appealing the sentence. – He is having a hard time now, says defender Vetle André Mitchell Jensen. In 2022, a man in his 40s was arrested for a major racketeering case in Western Norway. The man is said to have used his own company, a real estate company, to use a number of apartments in prostitution. This must have happened in the cities of Bergen, Haugesund, Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, Kristiansand, Skien and Drammen. The prostitution business took place over a period of more than three years, from 1 January 2019 to 12 September 2022. The defendant has been found guilty in the Gulating Court of Appeal for operating a pimping business under Section 315 of the Criminal Code for more than three years and eight months. Throughout the period, the defendant has been found guilty of hiring out for prostitution. This is what the man has been convicted of The man has broken: Penal Code section 315 first paragraph letter a) and b) Criminal Code section 79 letter c) Criminal Code section 338 first paragraph, Criminal Code section 337 first paragraph Criminal Code section 393 Criminal Code section 392 Accounting Act § 2 and section 4 Accounting Act § 10 He is punished with imprisonment for six years, as well as confiscation of money and various art prints. The Court of Appeal cannot see that there has been a pimping activity with a similar scope to that of which the man has been found guilty. The sale of sexual services from the prostitution activity during the period was at least NOK 30 million. The pimping business generated a dividend for him and his company of over NOK 7.4 million. Money laundered The proceeds from the pimping business were received both through cash and Vipps. The cash was later deposited into the company’s bank account and Vipps payments directly from the prostitutes’ customers to the company’s name. He concealed the origin of the money by creating invoices and by recording the income as legal rental of the company’s apartments. Imprisonment and confiscation of money The man receives a prison sentence of six years. In addition, he will confiscate over NOK 3.3 million to the state, as well as several art prints. He is also disqualified for five years from being an owner or manager in a Norwegian company of any kind or a foreign company with a head office, branch or other business connection to Norway. Nor can the man be the owner of a sole proprietorship. Considering appealing In the judgement, it appears that the demands have been accepted by the man, but according to defender Jensen, that is not entirely true. – He has accepted the specific confiscation requirements, but not the size of the confiscations, says Jensen. Defender Vetle André Mitchell Jensen. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news He says they will now consider appealing the verdict. – Now we will take the time to go through the judgment together and make up an assessment of an appeal to the Supreme Court on the sentencing. In the district court, he was sentenced to seven years in prison.
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