A convicted fraudster from Paarl who jumped bail by fleeing the country in 2016, Barend (Barry) Oberholzer, is alive but not so well, languishing in an American jail.
Oberholzer was recently sentenced to 15 months imprisonment by US District Judge Andrew L Carter for soliciting investments in his defence technology start-up company on the basis of fraudulent misrepresentations regarding its financial solvency, access to cash and use of investor funds.
This after Oberholzer was arrested in the US in February 2021 and pleaded guilty in March 2023.
In 2016 he was out on bail after being found guilty of at least 22 charges of fraud in the Specialised Crimes Court in Bellville, some even relating to illegal cigarette smuggling.
Oberholzer’s charge sheet of which Paarl Post has a copy, is filled with allegations of fraudulent activities over many years.
According to court documents Oberholzer used his companies, 360 Aviation, Atlantic Tabacco and Phoenix Crosfitt Paarl to secure payments for services he never delivered.
Unsuspecting people paid Oberholzer large sums of money to provide helicopters and other important goods, which he never did. He seems to have run into financial trouble around 2010 and knowingly used this money for personal expenses.
Shortly before being arrested in 2015, Oberholzer hosted a charity function, Row for Willem, supposedly to raise funds for one Willem van der Merwe, who was ill. Oberholzer then withdrew R25 000 from the function account.
Before fleeing the country Oberholzer lived with his family on the Val de Vie Estate near Paarl, where he allegedly also accumulated rent debt of R135 000.
Through a time span of quite a few years Oberholzer stole millions of rands to support his lavish lifestyle.
But when various charges against him started mounting up Oberholzer propagated conspiracy theories in which he played a central role. He even claimed he was a double agent working to uncover organised crime.
In his self-published memoir The Black Market Concierge Oberholzer claims to be a secret agent who works for a number of local and international intelligence agencies. This follows the self-publication of his first memoir, True Freedom.
But on 30 June 2016 he did not appear in court as scheduled, and a warrant for his arrest was issued by Interpol shortly after his disappearance.
Oberholzer has dual citizenship, having been born to South African parents in America, before moving back to South Africa.
