Forest Automobile former manager sentenced to six years in prison

A court in Laon, France, has sentenced the former workshop manager of Forest Automobile to six years in prison. The individual was found guilty of multiple offenses, including fraud, endangering others, forgery, money laundering, and bankruptcy.

Founded in 2022 in the Aisne region, Forest Automobile aimed to produce the ‘Forest’, a lightweight leisure vehicle inspired by the Citroën Méhari. However, the company faced significant legal and operational failures. Many customers who paid deposits of up to €10,000 never received their vehicles, while those who did receive them found the cars were not road-legal due to non-compliance with European Union standards. Investigations revealed that 86 vehicles were constructed using unapproved, second-hand parts and engines.

The defendant, suspected of managing the company despite a 2019 judicial ban on business management, also received a permanent ban on managing commercial enterprises and a five-year ban from working in the automotive industry. While the defense argued the sentence was disproportionate because no physical injuries occurred, the court upheld the prosecution's requisitions following the company's bankruptcy in 2025.