Crime26 March, 20262 min read
Florence Prosecutors Seize €20 Million In Assets Linked To Ursula Andress In Fraud Probe
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Assets worth about 20 million euros seized in Tuscany and Switzerland. Investigation originated from Andress's complaint to Swiss authorities.
Cross-border asset seizure details
Swiss-Italian cooperation yielded a striking new development: Florence prosecutors seized about 20 million euros in assets tied to Ursula Andress’s alleged 18 million Swiss franc fraud, including 11 prestige properties and 14 vineyard and olive-grove plots in San Casciano Val di Pesa and the surrounding Florentine hills, plus artworks and financial holdings.
“Follow the money. Dalla Svizzera alla Toscana. Così è stata smascherata una maxi truffa ai danni di Ursula Andress...”
The seizures reportedly follow a Swiss-led probe into misappropriations by a fiduciary against Andress, with authorities tracing the funds as they were moved and reinvested in foreign assets to conceal their origin.
Andress, speaking to Blick, said: 'I am still in shock... I was deliberately chosen as a victim. For eight years, I was courted and wooed. They lied to me shamelessly and exploited my goodwill in a perfidious, indeed criminal, way in order to take everything from me. They took advantage of my age.'
The 18 million Swiss francs were allegedly used to acquire real estate, art, and other assets that then appeared in Tuscany via a complex paper trail.
Freymond, Freymond-linked assets
At the center of the case is Éric Freymond, the Swiss banker long associated with Andress’s wealth management, who died by suicide in July 2025 as his name surfaced in luxury-finance cases. Italian investigators also traced roughly 18 million Swiss francs through opaque transfers that were reinvested in foreign companies and in a Tuscan estate.
The estate in question includes a coveted complex in San Casciano and related assets described by prosecutors as the likely product of money-laundering. Freymond's ties to Andress and the ongoing investigation have raised questions about the practices of high-net-worth wealth managers.
Paper trail and cross-border tracing
The investigation centers on a 'paper trail' that Guardia di Finanza analysts reconstructed, detailing how funds were layered and then redirected to the Italian assets. Swiss Vaud prosecutors opened the case; The Firenze DA took over the Italian leg, coordinating to map the money flows across borders.
The property in San Casciano was reportedly acquired in 2020 by Freymond and his wife, with maintenance and art purchases financed by the ill-gotten funds. The final investments included 11 properties, 14 plots and numerous artworks tied to the same illicit proceeds.
Current legal status and cross-border enforcement
Authorities have not disclosed any arrests to date. The case underscores cross-border enforcement capabilities and the willingness of Swiss authorities to cooperate with Italian prosecutors.
Andress remains a victim, with the authorities seeking to recover assets. The case also signals wider attention to illicit flows of high-value assets linked to luxury finance.
Broader implications for cross-border enforcement
The seizures in Tuscany are a tangible sign of cross-border asset enforcement in Europe. Italian and Swiss authorities say the money trail shows the need for international cooperation in tracing proceeds of crime.
“Follow the money. Dalla Svizzera alla Toscana... Così è stata smascherata la maxi truffa...”
Observers note the cases connect to broader concerns about fiduciary mismanagement among the ultra-wealthy. The next step is court proceedings, asset forfeiture, and potential further seizures.
