German city worker embezzles thousands from parking machines

BERLIN – A German city employee who emptied parking machines has been arrested for allegedly pocketing thousands of euros (dollars) of drivers’ fees.

Prosecutors in the northern city of Hildesheim said Tuesday that, following an anonymous tip, the 48-year-old was caught last week loading 1,000 euros ($1,060) in ill-gotten coins into his car.

They say the man confessed in questioning to siphoning off money and that a police sniffer dog unearthed more than 15,000 euros in cash at his apartment. Authorities calculate that the damage to the city in this year’s first three months alone totalled 21,000 euros.

The unidentified suspect had been emptying parking machines in Hildesheim for more than two years. Authorities suspect that he diverted more money into his pockets in the past.