Nova Massacre Sound Equipment Thief Gets 7 Years

A Beer Sheva Magistrate's Court judge sentenced Ram Shahin to seven years in prison on Wednesday for stealing and looting sound equipment belonging to Matan Lior, who was murdered at the Nova music festival on October 7. Judge Amir Doron described the actions as an "extreme moral low with no precedent."

Shahin's accomplice in some of the offenses, Daniel Hasson, who attempted to sell one of the stolen sound systems, received a 40-month prison sentence. A third accomplice, San Lucian Tevel, convicted of aiding the theft, will be sentenced at a later date. The indictment, filed in November 2023, detailed a conspiracy to steal equipment from Lior, who was killed after bravely rescuing others at the festival.

Two sound systems owned by Lior and his business partner Amitai Rachum were left at the festival site. The court valued the stolen property at approximately NIS 800,000. Judge Doron stated that the defendants exploited the massacre site for profit, showing complete indifference where human compassion was needed.

In addition to prison time, Shahin was fined NIS 60,000 and ordered to pay NIS 75,000 in compensation to Lior's parents and NIS 25,000 to Rachum. Hasson was fined NIS 30,000 and ordered to pay NIS 40,000 to the parents and NIS 15,000 to Rachum, bringing the total fines and compensation to NIS 245,000. Both also received suspended sentences.

The indictment described how the defendants contacted a truck driver to collect the equipment on October 9, two days after the massacre. Shahin and Hasson gained access to the festival area by falsely claiming they were collecting a friend's belongings. A tracker on a generator loaded onto the truck alerted police, leading to the arrest of the driver and the recovery of the equipment. Shahin then falsely presented himself as Lior's partner to secure the release of the first stolen system, taking it to his home. The pair later returned to steal the second system, again using deception to enter the area. Hasson was later found to be attempting to sell the second system.

Judge Doron identified Shahin as the "mastermind" behind the crimes, calling him manipulative and morally unrestrained. He rejected Shahin's claim that he intended to protect the equipment, citing a pattern of planned criminal activity for financial gain. The judge noted that Shahin visited Lior's grieving family during the shiva period while concealing the stolen property. Regarding Hasson, the judge noted his attempt to profit from a massacre victim's property indicated deep moral insensitivity, but also credited his confession and the amended indictment which reduced his charges after he claimed Shahin misled him about the true intent.