Former Jumbo CEO Van Eerd has to be in jail for money laundering for two years

This article was last updated on August 7, 2025

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Former Jumbo CEO Van Eerd has to be in jail for money laundering for two years

Frits van Eerd, former general director of supermarket chain Jumbo, has to go to jail for 24 months. The court in Groningen ruled this afternoon that the fallen supermarket director was guilty of money laundering. Due to forgery, he even lifted his own company.

The punishment is higher than the Public Prosecution Service’s requirement: that had also demanded two years, but with eight months conditional. Co -suspect Theo E. received 3.5 years in prison from the court.

In 2022, the police found 4.5 tons of cash in the house of Van Eerd in 2022, which he had received over the years from car dealer E. The court ruled that Van Eerd knew that that large sum of money came from criminal activities.

During the lawsuit, his lawyer submitted statements of friends and family about the origin of the 446,000 euros in cash found at his home. The judge found those statements only unbelievable and cannot be verified. Where it could be verified, the statements turned out to be incorrect in most cases.

Not a good explanation

The judge also found Van Eerd’s explanation that he has so much money in the house because he is a wealthy man with expensive racing hobbies not credible. Also because the money was hidden in unusual places, such as in envelopes behind books, a wooden box and even in a fridge. In addition, there were suspicious notes of 500 euros in between and the money was not specified at the tax.

According to the judge, there is therefore no other conclusion than that the money found “comes from any crime”. “And Van Eerd knew,” the judge said. Before that, the judge had already “convincingly proven” that Van Eerd had been bribed by E. He had given him cash and things for false sponsorship invoices for Jumbo: “He received things that were actually paid by Jumbo”.

The judge therefore ruled that Van Eerd abused his position as CEO of Jumbo: “He has enriched himself at the expense of Jumbo. Not only did he violate the law, but also the internal rules of Jumbo.” The judge called it “extraordinary bad” that the top man was looking at these rules. “In a video he even points new employees to these rules.”

Fallen top man

Van Eerd had been celebrated since 2002 CEO of Jumbo. Under his leadership, the family business from Zaak grew with 54 branches with around 2000 employees to a national supermarket with more than 700 branches with more than 41,000 employees.

In his first year as general director, Jumbo achieved a turnover of 425 million euros. When Van Eerd left three years ago as director, that turnover grew to more than 10 billion euros. In 2016 also became Restaurant chain La Place incorporated.

Under the leadership of Van Eerd, Jumbo grew to the second supermarket chain in the country. The company logo was on the uniforms of athletes who won the Tour de France and the Formula 1 Grand Prix on Zandvoort. The supermarket director himself rode the 24 hours of Le Mans several times in his spare time.

Raid

Everything changed when the police and the FIOD investigation service invaded the house of Van Eerd in Heeswijk-Dinther in September 2022. The Jumbo CEO turned out to be the suspect in a large money laundering shop with sponsor contracts and motorbikes by car dealer Theo E.

Van Eerd was stuck for interrogation for four days. After his release, he temporarily laid down his duties at Jumbo, to finally leave as a director. Van Eerd is still co-owner of Jumbo with a third of the shares.

Jumbo has not yet responded to the conviction of the former CEO and current co-owner.