84-Year-Old Man in Germany Convicted of Possessing Illegal WWII Arsenal

An 84-year-old man was convicted by a German court for possession of World War II weaponry.

The man, whose name will remain private in accordance with German laws, had an illegal military arsenal that was first discovered during a 2015 raid of his storage facility in Germany.

At the time, the man did not hide his collection, and was reported to have brought the tank out during a bad winter to use as a snow plow, according to the AP.

The tank and a flak cannon have to be sold or donated within the next two years. 

During this raid of the defendant’s property, they found and seized additional weapons including machine guns and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition. 

German news agency DPA reported that prior to court's verdict being announced, the defendant’s lawyer read his client's confession aloud, according to the outlet.

DPA reported that the man received a suspended prison sentence of 14 months, and was also required to pay a fine of 250,000 euros — equivalent to $300,000 USD —  according to AP News.

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