German authorities are searching for Hendrik Holt, a convicted wind-power fraudster who failed to return to prison after a period of leave, according to multiple German media outlets. Reports from tagesschau.de, Spiegel, and rbb24 indicate Holt was in an open prison in Berlin when he did not come back.
The news outlet BILD reports that Holt has since sent a message described as "greetings from Moscow," suggesting he may have fled to Russia. tagesschau.de also references this development in its coverage, which was published on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Holt was serving time for a large-scale fraud scheme connected to wind energy projects. The exact details of the fraud and the length of his sentence are not specified in the available reporting. He was being held in the Justizvollzugsanstalt Berlin, a correctional facility in the German capital, under an open-custody arrangement that allows inmates supervised time outside the prison.
The case has drawn attention because of the scale of the alleged deception and the circumstances of the escape. Open prisons in Germany are designed for inmates considered lower risk, with the expectation that they will return after work or other approved activities. Holt's failure to do so has prompted a manhunt.
Authorities have not confirmed his location, and the claim that he is in Russia is based on the reported message, not on official confirmation. The investigation is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether German authorities have requested international assistance in locating him. The next development to watch is whether officials confirm his whereabouts or issue an international arrest warrant.
