Tennis great Boris Becker found guilty in bankruptcy trial, could face jail

Tennis great Boris Becker could face a prison sentence after being found guilty Friday of illicitly moving thousands of dollars from a bank account after he was declared bankrupt.

A jury at London's Southwark Crown Court convicted Becker on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate assets. The German star was found to have transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds after his June 2017 bankruptcy from his business account to other accounts.

He was also convicted of failing to declare a property in Germany and hiding an 825,000 euro ($895,000) bank loan and shares in a tech firm. He was acquitted on 20 other counts, including charges that he failed to hand over his many awards, including two Wimbledon trophies.

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The six-time Grand Slam champion had denied all the charges, saying he had cooperated with trustees tasked with securing his assets -- even offering up his wedding ring -- and had acted on expert advice. Becker's bankruptcy stemmed from a 4.6 million euro loan from a private bank in 2013, as well as about $1.6 million borrowed from a British businessman the year after, according to testimony at the trial.

He said he had "expensive lifestyle commitments," including a house in Wimbledon that cost 22,000 pounds in rent each month. But he said bad publicity had damaged "brand Becker," making it hard for him to earn enough to pay off his debts. He said:

"[It is] very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it," he told the jury. "[It is] very difficult to make a lot of money with my name."