Spanish Impostor “Little Nicolás” Sentenced for Bribery and Data Misuse

Francisco Nicolás Gómez Iglesias, known in the Spanish press as “El pequeño Nicolás” (Little Nicholas), has been sentenced to two years, one month and 15 days in prison for manipulating two municipal police officers in Madrid to obtain confidential car license plate information for financial gain. The Supreme Court partially upheld his appeal, acknowledging significant delays in the legal process, but affirmed the conviction for bribery and unlawful disclosure of secrets.

Details of the Case

The court found Gómez de Iglesias guilty of instigating a crime of discovery and disclosure of secrets committed by a public official, as well as committing active bribery. He used the illegally obtained vehicle data “to obtain parallel income,” according to court documents. El Diario reports that the sentence was reduced due to the extensive delays in the case – a period of thirteen years from the initial investigation to sentencing.

Background: “Little Nicolás” and Previous Incidents

Francisco Nicolás Gómez Iglesias, born April 18, 1994, in Móstoles, Spain, rose to notoriety for infiltrating Spanish high society and political circles. Wikipedia details his history of impersonating individuals, including allegedly posing as a member of the Spanish intelligence agency (CNI). He was first arrested in October 2014 on charges of forgery, fraud, and identity theft. He reportedly lived a double life, studying law while simultaneously presenting himself as a well-connected figure with access to high-level political and business contacts.

Reduced Sentence Due to Delays

The Supreme Court acknowledged the “extraordinary” length of the legal proceedings, reducing the original sentence of four years and three months by half due to the “highly qualified” mitigating circumstance of undue delays. The court recognized that the case took almost ten years to process in the preliminary phase, followed by another three years for preparation and trial.

Acquittals and Additional Sentences

Gómez de Iglesias was acquitted of the charge of violating official secrets, a charge previously leveled against him and a former municipal security coordinator. However, the two municipal police officers involved were also sentenced to two years, one month, and 15 days in prison for their roles in revealing secrets and accepting bribes, with their sentences also reduced by half due to the delays in the case. A civil guard previously assigned to the Royal Family was acquitted of revealing secrets for which he had been sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Further Legal Proceedings

El Diario reports that Gómez Iglesias recently returned to court to answer questions regarding a year he spent disguised as a spy.