„Young Shaman“ Convicted of Occult Fraud: Four Years in Prison

The 30-year-old, who also acted as a "shaman" under the name "Anna," received an unconditional four-year sentence. The two men each received three years in prison, with two years suspended in each case.

The three defendants pleaded guilty to the charge of commercial serious fraud with an incriminated damage of 1.7 million euros and money laundering. They only denied the accusation of having formed a criminal organization.

The alleged main perpetrator Mariana M., the real name of the "shaman," is still at large. While the search for her was ongoing, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) filed charges against her ex-husband, her son, and her daughter-in-law, who also acted as a "shaman" under the name "Anna." The accused men are essentially charged with managing and profitably investing the assets obtained by the two fraudsters.

Occult Fraud: Defendants Exercise Right to Remain Silent

"Everything in the indictment is true. Except for the criminal organization. I don't want to say more," the 30-year-old "young shaman" stated at the beginning of the trial. "She is extremely sorry," said Philipp Wolm, one of her two defense attorneys. There will be a "ready-to-go indictment" and a "ready-to-go acceptance of responsibility." However, there is no criminal organization: "A family is not inherently geared towards committing criminal acts."

"There is a 'hands up, we confess!'" affirmed Nikolaus Rast, the second defense attorney for the "shaman." The 30-year-old is "so exhausted" that she will not answer questions and will exercise her right to remain silent. The male co-defendants also took advantage of this, which is likely to significantly shorten the trial.

Ten-Year Period of Offense Incriminated

According to the indictment, the main perpetrator "Amela" and her daughter-in-law are said to have continuously committed serious fraud from February 2015 to January 2025, exploiting the "weaknesses" of their victims "to afford a luxurious lifestyle," as the prosecutor explained at the beginning of the trial. Mainly in Vienna, but also in Linz, Neusiedl am See, and Munich, "Anna" and "Amela" approached their later victims - mostly women - on the street and initially complimented them on their supposedly "beautiful aura."

If people engaged with this topic, the two revealed themselves as alleged "shamans" and claimed they sensed a "discordant aura" or that the victims were afflicted by a curse. Both, along with impending misfortune, could be averted for a fee. There was talk of an impending accidental death of a daughter, a fatal illness of a relative, or a "black circle" that had formed around one of the victims.

Sometimes it was also said that existing cash or other valuables needed to be "cleansed," which were then not returned. According to the indictment, the swindlers often asked male victims for donations by pretending to be needy and destitute, bringing up urgently needed medical treatments or renovation work.

19 Victims Included in Indictment

19 victims were included in the indictment. One woman handed over no less than 575,000 euros to the "shamans," being led to believe she was possessed by demons and her wealth needed to be "cleansed." Another woman paid 91,000 euros to avert the supposedly impending fatal accident of her daughter. A woman with cancer was defrauded of 56,550 euros, being led to believe her illness could be made to "disappear." The woman in question has since passed away.

At the beginning of the year, the police were able to secure immense assets on the family's property in Maria Enzersdorf (Mödling district). In addition to 6.4 million euros in cash, jewelry and other valuables worth two million euros were confiscated. Around one million euros were deposited in various bank accounts, and the defendants also had a fleet of 14 cars worth over 300,000 euros.

The law enforcement authorities assume that the approximately ten million euros largely constitute the loot from the incriminated frauds. The defense attorneys opposed this. They acknowledged the incriminated damage of 1.7 million euros and promised full restitution. However, the remaining millions were said to have been earned "from legal income." "Amelia's" divorced husband was extremely successful in the real estate business, emphasized his defense attorney Alexander Prenner. The family had "managed well for generations and invested very skillfully." Additionally, the defendants had lived "very frugally," claimed Prenner.

(APA/Red)

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