A German traffic warden who spent years quietly looting parking meters has secretly amassed a fortune, becoming a millionaire in loose change.
The 40-year-old, employed by the city of Kempten in Bavaria to empty council-run parking machines, is accused of skimming cash during hundreds of collections and stealing an estimated €1 million in coins.
Investigators say he deposited the money into multiple bank accounts, eventually triggering a major money-laundering alert when staff noticed the unusual flow of small-denomination cash.
His 38-year-old wife, who reportedly had access to the accounts, has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting in the scheme.
A judge has now approved warrants linked to 720 separate thefts, with detectives still working through the evidence.
The alleged operation only came to light in October — after the couple had been siphoning public funds for months, if not years.
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In response, the city has hurried to roll out smartphone parking payments after discovering its meters had effectively become the pair’s private cash supply.
And it’s not the first time Germany has been rocked by a rogue-employee scandal. There have been a few of them.
