The founder of an association whose stated aim was to work for sick children, Les Nez Rouges, was sentenced on Friday February 18 to three and a half years in prison for embezzlement, by the Limoges criminal court (Haute -Vienna).
Sébastien Buisson, 36, was also banned from carrying out any associative activity and managing a business for five years.
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Three years in prison and a fine of 50,000 euros were requested on January 14 against the man, prosecuted for "
aggravated breach of trust
" and suspected of having embezzled 243,000 euros in donations paid to the association between 2013 and 2018. In particular, he was accused of acquiring an expensive vehicle for his personal use at the association's expense, paying donations into his personal bank account, carrying out few actions and not having justified transfers of funds.
6748 euros from a misappropriated kitty
In addition to 219,000 euros in unjustified cash withdrawals and 17,000 euros transferred to his personal account, the man had embezzled 6,748 euros from an online kitty opened after the burglary of the association's premises in Limoges in 2016. Prosecuted for theft and concealment to the detriment of the association, Sébastien Buisson's mother was given a six-month suspended prison sentence.
The object of Les Nez Rouges was to “
entertain sick children and make their dreams come true
”.
Through "
days of the heart
", garage sales, street collections or participation in Christmas markets, the association based in Limoges had raised 460,000 euros between 2013 and 2018 thanks to its 38 ambassadors and its thousand volunteers.
In 2014 and then in 2017, the "
Soft Clowns
", also based in Haute-Vienne and also working with hospitalized children, reported to the public prosecutor's office on the operation of the "
Nez Rouges
", such as the Limoges University Hospital, whose image had been used when no agreement had been made.
Also in 2017, the financial intelligence unit Tracfin in turn alerted the public prosecutor for "
atypical
" financial transactions.
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At the helm, Sébastien Buisson, appearing free, had firmly disputed the facts without being able to give explanations on these cash withdrawals or on his lifestyle while he was receiving the RSA.
Eight times convicted by the courts, Sébastien Buisson is indicted for fraud in recidivism and illegal exercise of the profession of lawyer in another case: in January 2021, he had put on a lawyer's robe, bought on the internet, and pleaded before the judicial court of Cusset (Allier).
