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Tennis great Boris Becker has been sentenced to jail for fraud charges after being found guilty of hiding over $4 million in assets.

The six-time grand slam champion transferred money to two of his former partners after he had declared bankruptcy.

The judge remarked that he had shown “no remorse” and did not accept his guilt.

Becker was previously found guilty of tax evasion in Germany in 2002.

Boris Becker Fraud Charges

Mr Boris Becker was sentenced to two and a half years’ jail for hiding his assets after declaring bankruptcy.

The tennis legend was convicted of four charges under the Insolvency Act earlier in the month. Those offences included failing to disclose, concealing and removing significant assets following a bankruptcy trial.

The German national was found guilty in court of transferring money to his former wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharley in 2017 after he had been declared bankrupt.

The court found that Mr Becker hid approximately $4.4 million worth of assets to avoid paying his debts.

He did not declare a property in Germany, hid a 825,000 euro ($A1.2 million) bank loan as well as shares in a Canadian technology firm.

Sentencing judge Deborah Taylor remarked that Becker had shown no remorse for his behaviour.  

“While I accept the humiliation you have felt as a result of these proceedings, you have shown no humility.”

The two-time Australian Open winner will serve at least half his sentence in full-time custody.

Fall from Grace

The court heard that the former grand slam winner lost his fortune after his retirement. He claimed he didn’t know where his trophies were.

He suggested that a high-interest loan was responsible for his monetary woes. He also claimed to have diplomatic protection from the Central African Republic in order to avoid bankruptcy.

Becker’s fraud lawyer claimed the tennis icon had been publicly humiliated throughout the trial. Adverse publicity is a well-known ground for extra-curial punishment.

“His reputation, an essential part of the brand, which gives him work, is in tatters…His fall is not simply a fall from grace and amounts to the most public of humiliations.”

The court heard that the former Wimbledon winner had been left with “literally nothing to show for what was the most glittering of sporting careers”.

Support for Boris Becker

Boris Becker had denied all fraud charges and claimed that he had cooperated with the bankruptcy proceedings. He argued that he had relied on his advisers.

He was acquitted of 20 other counts, including charges that he failed to hand over other assets, including two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal.

The German Tennis Federation (DTB) expressed their support for the legend, stating, “We have noted the verdict regarding Boris Becker with regret…We wish him a lot of strength for the future. He will forever be part of our tennis family.”

Boris Becker was also convicted of tax evasion in Germany in 2002. He was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence for that.

Fraud Lawyers

Fraud in New South Wales falls under the charge of ‘Obtaining financial advantage or property by deception’ pursuant to Section 192E of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

The definition of fraud is acting dishonestly to cause a financial advantage or disadvantage.

In order for you to be found guilty of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception charges, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that:

1. You received property or a financial advantage, OR

2. You caused a financial loss, AND

3. The gain or loss was caused by your actions, AND

4. Those actions were dishonest. Dishonesty is to be assessed according to standards of ordinary people and requires you to know your actions to be dishonest according to those standards. If an Accused’s dishonest actions were not the main cause of the gain or loss then the charge will be dismissed.

If you have been accused fraud, it is important to obtain advice from a leading fraud lawyer early on. Call Astor Legal on (02) 7804 2823. Or, you can email info@astorlegal.com.au. You can also read some recent cases where fraud charges have been dismissed by clicking here.

The maximum penalty for ‘dishonestly obtain financial advantage or property by deception’ is 10 years’ imprisonment when heard in the District Court.

Looking at statistics since 2018, 32% of persons found guilty of this offence were sentenced to some kind of imprisonment. 16% of persons were sentenced to full-time imprisonment. Only 10% of person received no conviction for fraud. 

Jail is a real possibility and avoiding a conviction is not easy. Fraud is taken extremely seriously by the Courts. Having the right lawyer makes all the difference in the ultimate penalty you will receive.