Ex-Teacher Convicted Over $450 Million Carbon-Tax Scam in France

An ex-math teacher turned Marseilles piano-bar manager who claimed links to Corsica’s underworld was sentenced to nine years in jail after being convicted of spearheading a 385 million-euro ($450 million) tax scam.

Christiane Melgrani, 59, is guilty of money laundering, organized fraud and criminal conspiracy, judge Benedicte de Perthuis said May 23. In addition to her prison sentence, Melgrani was ordered to pay a 3 million-euro ($3.5 million) fine.

During the trial, Melgrani was described by prosecutors at France’s Parquet National Financier as a ringleader in the biggest scams, which cost the government about $2 billion in taxes on ...