Remember the 84-year-old German citizen who hid a WWII Panther Tank in his basement? Well, sorry to break the news but the man has been found guilty…
So, a quick recap of the story. In 2015, German authorities raided a man’s house in Heikendorf, northern Germany where they found an old Panther tank along with other weapons including an anti-aircraft gun, machine guns, and assault rifles. The unnamed German citizen had allegedly bought the tank and the other equipment and hid it away in his basement. The authorities claimed that the man had broken Germany’s War Weapons Control Act that “regulates the manufacture, sale, and transport of weapons of war.” Whereas the defendant claimed that it was not true as most of the weapons were not functional and were just for show.
This news has gotten a lot of attention from different artifacts’ collectors and even from a museum in the US that is eager to buy the 40-ton war-era Panther tank, according to the defendant’s lawyer.
Well, turns out the German court found the defendant guilty of violating the act and has charged him with a €250,000 fine for possession of the illegal weapons. In addition to the hefty fine, a 10-month suspension sentence was also imposed on the defendant. While the defendant argued that the weapons had been demilitarized and were not operational, the prosecution was able to prove that some of those weapons from the Nazi-era found under his possession were still functional and could have been used in dangerous circumstances.
Well this incident might serve as a great history lesson for a lot of people out there especially antique collectors that if you find a war-era weapon somewhere, don’t hide it in your basement (try a better hiding spot)