Ex-arms-industry lobbyist convicted of tax evasion in Germany, sentenced to 8 years

Ex-lobbyist convicted of tax evasion in Germany

AUGSBURG, Germany — Ex-arms-industry lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber has been convicted of tax evasion in Germany and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

News agency DAPD reported Wednesday that the 76-year-old was found guilty by an Augsburg state court of failing to report millions in income.

He was accused of not declaring money he allegedly received as kickbacks for the sale of helicopters to Canada’s coast guard, Airbus planes to Thailand and Canada and tanks to Saudi Arabia in the 1990s.

Prosecutors sought 9 1/2 years in prison while Schreiber’s lawyer argued for an acquittal.

Schreiber, a Canadian-German dual national, was arrested in Canada in 1999 and sent to Germany in August after losing a 10-year battle against extradition.