The man who pretended to be the nephew of Brigitte Macron, whose Le Parisien recently detailed the small scams, was sentenced this Wednesday to one year in prison by the Paris Criminal Court.
Now 35 years old, he will serve his prison sentence under an electronic surveillance system at home.
He will also be subject to compulsory medical monitoring.
This usurper who had already been the subject of 17 convictions for similar or related facts appeared Tuesday and Wednesday before the criminal court, which finally sentenced him to 30 months of imprisonment, 18 of which were accompanied by a reinforced suspension. "The court made the choice to sanction the seriousness of the facts (...) and to take into account your desire to be taken care of and to benefit from a follow-up which is part of the duration", declared the president of the 13th correctional chamber.
Through a fake email address, the man requested specific services, allegedly for the nephew of the First Lady: a VIP welcome in a luxury hotel in Morocco, seats for a Formula 1 grand prix in Melbourne or another Club 2000 card from Air France.
These requests were signed by the names of Pierre-Olivier Costa, director of Brigitte Macron's cabinet, and Patrick Strzoda, director of Emmanuel Macron's cabinet, who had joined as a civil party.
He will have to pay them one euro in damages.
"Pathological liar"
His accomplice was sentenced to twelve months in prison, nine of which were suspended.
The public prosecutor had required 28 months of imprisonment including 16 of firm prison, against the accused, pointing to a "strong attack on the image of France".
An argument also raised by Me Ennochi, lawyer of MM.
Costa and Strzoda.
“We present France as a banana republic,” he said.
The defendant assured that he had not acted "for the money" or "to do harm", but for "the status, the prestige, the privileges".
He had been qualified, in the psychological report, of "pathological liar" and of "mythomaniac fabulator", without concluding with a proven psychiatric disorder.
At the hearing, Me Zagury, defense lawyer, regretted the absence of an in-depth psychiatric expertise, pleading in particular the need to "question the why".
“The risk of repetition does not depend on acknowledging the facts.
It depends on understanding the mechanics of acting out, ”he pleaded.
