Let’s get it back to the Flyers.

Today Coggin pulled this random article from a Finnish website, dated to Tuesday night, which claims that former goaltender Roman Cechmanek faces up to ten years in prison after being charged with financial fraud.

The story is from a Helsinki newspaper called “Iltalehti,” whatever the hell that means. It cites a magazine in the Czech Republic, where Cechmanek is from.

Here’s a Google translation:

“Roman Cechmanek, who has been one of the cornerstones of the Czech national hockey team for years, has been brought to justice in his home country. An ex-goalkeeper accused of fraud can face up to ten years in prison.

Among other things, Cechmanek, 49, who won Olympic gold and three world championships in the ranks of the Czech national team, is charged with financial crimes between 2011 and 2014. According to the law, Cechmanek, which had joined the real estate business, deliberately left payments in arrears for profit. A total of 28 charges have been brought against the former goalkeeper.

Cechmanek, who has evaded payments, is accused of causing nearly €600,000 in financial damage to his creditors. According to Blesk magazine, Cechmanek signed numerous real estate contracts, even though he did not have any financial capacity to survive them. Cechmanek, who appeared in court on Tuesday, denied his innocence

“I never intended to rob anyone,” he said, according to Blesk. The years-long legal battle will continue in December. In addition to his reputation, Cechmanek also has freedom in the game, as he faces up to ten years in prison.

I found the other article in this “Blesk” magazine, and it says this trial has been going on for seven years now.

“The result can be a ten-year prison. Yesterday, the Regional Court in Zlín adjourned the case again, there was no witness,” it says in the article.

Seems like the longest case of all time. Coggin and I will continue to comb through European publications looking for more information on the story.