Critical "Corona Committee" Lateral thinker embezzles 700,000 euros in donations - prison
The prominent coronavirus critic Reiner Fuellmich has been sent to prison for almost four years. The Göttingen Regional Court convicted the 66-year-old of embezzling 700,000 euros in donations.
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- During the coronavirus pandemic, Reiner Fuellmich collected donations for a "coronavirus committee" that was critical of the measures.
- He took around 700,000 euros from this for private purposes. He claimed in court that he had wanted to protect the money "from the state".
- According to the court, he misappropriated funds. He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
The well-known coronavirus critic Reiner Fuellmich has been sentenced to three years and nine months' imprisonment by Göttingen District Court. The court is convinced that the 66-year-old former lawyer embezzled a total of 700,000 euros in donations from the "Corona Committee" for private purposes. Fuellmich testified during the trial that he had wanted to protect the money "from the state".
According to the court, he transferred 200,000 euros to his wife's account and a further 500,000 euros to his own account, including for house and garden work. This was done without the consent of the three other shareholders of the "Corona Committee", as several German media reported unanimously. The court saw this as a violation of the company's articles of association.
A German journalist commented on the case as follows: "He presented himself as a fighter against the 'corona scam' - and diverted donations to the 'Corona Committee' for himself."
During the coronavirus pandemic, Fuellmich was a central figure in the so-called "lateral thinkers" scene - people who were critical of the state and private coronavirus measures and often spread conspiracy theories.
Fuellmich collected money for alleged "trillion-dollar lawsuit"
In more than 120 online meetings of the "Corona Committee", mainly self-proclaimed experts made unscientific claims about coronavirus. One of his best-known comrades-in-arms was the doctor and former SPD politician Wolfgang Wodarg.
Fuellmich described the pandemic as a "coronavirus scam" and held out the prospect of a "trillion-dollar lawsuit" against those responsible, for which he also collected money. He even demanded 800 euros (around 750 francs today) plus VAT as an advance payment from potential plaintiffs. However, the lawsuit never materialized. For the investigators, however, this did not constitute fraud, as "T-Online" writes.
Fuellmich fled to Mexico
Following a complaint by his former companions from the "Corona Committee", Fuellmich fled to Tijuana in Mexico. In September 2022, the former comrades-in-arms explained to investigators in detail how Fuellmich had defrauded them of 700,000 euros. The Göttingen public prosecutor's office confirmed in May 2023 that it was investigating embezzlement. At this point, a European arrest warrant had already been issued.
However, Fuellmich was deported in Mexico and had to fly back to Germany in October 2023, where he was arrested on arrival at Frankfurt Airport. He has been in custody ever since - for a total of 18 months.
The trial began in January 2024 and lasted over a year. In court, Fuellmich said that he had wanted to protect the funds from being seized by the state. Around 30 supporters attended the trial in the auditorium. According to Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR ), Fuellmich appeared calm when the verdict was announced on April 24, 2025 and announced that he intended to apply for an appeal. The verdict is not yet final.