For failing to report his assets and fraudulently moving substantial quantities of money after declaring bankruptcy, Boris Becker was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, Judge Deborah Taylor stated Friday.
Last month, a jury found the 54-year-old guilty of violating the terms of his bankruptcy discharge. To be more specific, Becker moved hundreds of thousands of pounds from his personal bank account to a property in his hometown of Leimen, Germany, which he then concealed.
He was also found guilty of hiding an €825,000 (about $870,000) bank loan and 75,000 shares in a computer company, Breaking Data Corp.
As a result of his Insolvency Act infractions, Becker could have spent up to seven years in prison. Jonathan Laidlaw, the German tennis star’s lawyer, appealed to the court for leniency, claiming that he had already lost so much.
It’s as if this defendant has lost everything.” He has already paid a severe price for his financial mismanagement as well as for his criminal conduct. Any other assets he owns will be worthless to him. Despite having one of the most illustrious sporting careers, Boris Becker is broke and has nothing to show for it. Laidlaw described it as a “tragedy” in a statement.
The most public humiliation of this kind, not just a fall from grace. Unlike any other bankrupt in this country, he’s going through a level of pain that no one else will ever have to endure.
“He does not have a future. These proceedings have destroyed his career, they have destroyed any future prospect of him earning an income. He will not be able to find work and he will have to rely on the charity of others if he is to survive.”
A striped tie in Wimbledon colors, worn by Becker as he arrived at the courthouse, also served as a reminder of his innocence. As far as he was concerned, everything of the $50 million he earned throughout his great tennis career was spent on divorce settlements, child support, and his lavish lifestyle.
Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro and Noah Becker, the former Wimbledon champion’s eldest son, were in the courtroom for Becker’s punishment. A large crowd gathered outside Southwark Crown Court, including many supporters and members of the media. ‘Free Boris Becker!’ were the chants of his admirers.
In the past, a jury had found him guilty of making nine separate wire transfers totaling $450,000 to various accounts, including those of Barbara and her estranged wife, Lilly Becker. There were no convictions on the other twenty charges, including those that he refused to hand over his Wimbledon and Olympic gold medals.