Olomouc High Court increases sentence for rapper Enrico Pešta

The Olomouc High Court has increased the sentence for rapper Enrico Pešta, known as Hard Rico, to five years in prison for his role as the organizer of a robbery and extortion group. The court also imposed a fine of two million CZK on Pešta.

Following the appeal, the sentences for his accomplices were also adjusted: Miroslav Cihi's sentence was increased from five to six years, while Karel Meca's five-year sentence was upheld. Pešta's former girlfriend, Laura, received a suspended sentence, overturning a previous three-year prison term.

The crime occurred in Ostrava-Poruba, where the group coerced a man into withdrawing 100,000 CZK and subsequently demanded an additional two million CZK. The incident was reportedly motivated by jealousy after the victim had been in contact with Pešta's then-partner. During the proceedings, Pešta stated he had changed his stage name to Rico and sought to distance himself from his former persona.