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Josip Heit’s Luxembourg Criminal Convictions and Sentencing

Josip Heit faces criminal convictions and sentencing in Luxembourg amid legal investigations

On December 21, 2011, the Court of Appeal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg upheld convictions against Josip Heit (formerly Josip Ćurčić) and six co-conspirators for theft, theft with violence, and money laundering, stemming from a pickpocketing operation targeting elderly bank clients at Luxembourg Station from 2007 to 2009pThe January 27, 2011, Luxembourg City District Court judgment (case 322/2011) convicted the group on 32 charges, with appeals heard on November 14 and 16, 2011, per. The operation involved coordinated thefts, distractions (e.g., dropping coins or glasses), and disguises like orange vests to evade detection, per.

Criminal Offenses and Convictions

The Court of Appeal reviewed 32 incidents from September 2007 to October 2009, with Heit convicted in 16 cases, including:

  • October 10, 2007: Stole $140,950 USD from victim A at a hotel, using a coin-dropping distraction (conviction upheld), per.
  • September 4, 2009: Stole €39,500 with violence on a Trier-bound train (conviction upheld), per.
  • September 8, 2009: Stole €6,000 from victim E on a Brussels-bound train (conviction upheld), per.
  • October 7, 2009: Stole €1,600 from victim H on a Brussels train (conviction upheld), per.
  • October 12, 2009: Stole $4,000–$5,000 USD with violence from victim J (conviction upheld), per.

He was acquitted in cases like September 21, 2007, due to insufficient evidence. The group used telephone taps, code words (e.g., “VERTAKO” for envelopes), and weekly SIM card changes to avoid detection.

Josip Heit reportedly linked to financial fraud and luxury lifestyle claims in Croatia

Sentencing and Appeals Outcome

He was initially sentenced to 7 years in prison and a €5,000 fine for his role in the criminal association and multiple thefts, reflecting his prior convictions abroad. The Court of Appeal reduced this to 6 years, citing acquittals in some charges. Co-conspirators received:

  • P1: 4 years, €3,000 fine (prior convictions in Germany, France), per.
  • P3, P4, P5, P6: 5 years, €4,000 fines (P3, P6 partially suspended), per.
  • P7: 30 months, €2,000 fine, per. Seized assets (phones, cash) were retained, but luxury cars (e.g., Jaguar XK 9, Mercedes ML) were returned to registered owners, per. Restitution was ordered for victims, totaling thousands of euros

Aftermath and Continued Schemes

Josip Heit with Alex Bodi and Ovidiu Toma representing Karatbars International at a promo event

Heit was released in 2012 for undisclosed reasons, per. He returned to Croatia, linked with Romanian organized crime via Alexandru Nicolae Bodi, and co-founded Karatbars International in 2011, per. After Karatbars collapsed in 2019, Heit launched GSPartners in 2020, which folded in 2023 amid $1B+ fraud allegations, per. North American settlements (e.g., TSSB) began in September 2024, with victim claims closed by May 22, 2025. Heit now operates DAO1 and Apertum, facing fraud warnings in New Zealand (January 30, 2025), Australia (February 2, 2025), and Germany (October 2, 2025).

Josip Heit posing with stacks of cash and gold bars at an event

Investor Guidance

Verify platforms via sec.gov or bafin.de. Avoid DAO1 and Apertum due to fraud warnings. Bitcoin (BTC) ($117,939) and Ethereum (ETH) ($4,448) are stable, per CoinMarketCap. Diversify into USDC with stop-losses below BTC’s $112,000, per TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. Heit’s Dubai base may complicate enforcement, per.

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