Alfons Schuhbeck faces three years and two months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion. However, the star chef still has the opportunity to appeal against the judge's verdict. After that it doesn't look like it will.
Alfons Schuhbeck initially denied the allegations of tax evasion made against him. But then he quickly confessed to him in the trial before the Munich I Regional Court and was also full of remorse: "I know that what I did was wrong, I bear full responsibility for it."
However, that did not save him from a harsh sentence, even if the verdict fell short of the demands of the public prosecutor's office, who wanted to send Schuhbeck to four years and two months in prison. The judge only reduced the sentence by one year, so that the 73-year-old now faces three years and two months in prison.
However, both the public prosecutor's office and the star chef himself still have the opportunity to appeal. The deadline for this is Thursday at midnight. In this case, the proceedings would probably end up at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in the spring, which would then have to decide whether the process should be reopened.
It doesn't look like that - at least from Schuhbeck's side - but apparently not. The lawyers of the star chef did not want to appeal the verdict, the "Bild" newspaper claims to have learned. A court spokesman told the newspaper that no corresponding application had been received by Tuesday.
If it stays that way, the verdict would become final on Friday. According to the "Bild" newspaper, Schuhbeck would then have to reckon with being sent the summons to begin his detention in December. Schuhbeck does not have to worry that he will have to go to prison around Christmas time. But in mid-January it should be ready.
Should Schuhbeck be able to settle his tax debts quickly, his sentence could be reduced to just 19 months in prison, according to further "Bild" information. But even with good behavior, he could be released after serving two-thirds of the sentence and thus 25 months.
