Eight “Grandpa Robbers” Convicted in Kim Kardashian’s Paris Heist
A group of eight individuals, referred to as “grandpa robbers,” has been found guilty in connection with the high-profile robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris.
In a Paris courtroom, a panel consisting of three judges and six jurors convicted all but two of the ten accused, which included one man and one woman, according to reports.
The defendants were involved in a sophisticated heist during which they tied Kardashian up with zip ties and stole jewellery valued at approximately $9 million.
Prosecutors sought a ten-year sentence for the suspects, who were reportedly in their late 50s and 60s at the time they were apprehended months after the crime. Evidence such as DNA and wiretaps helped authorities break the case open.
Nicknamed “Repapis Bracure,” or grandpa robbers, the alleged thieves faced significant health issues like cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s as they neared their 70s, leading to multiple delays in the legal proceedings. Tragically, one suspect passed away prior to the trial, and the alleged mastermind, AOMARAït Khedache, communicates in court through written notes due to deafness.
Meanwhile, Kardashian, who is now 44, appeared composed while recounting the harrowing events of October 2, 2016. She described being thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and held at gunpoint.
“I thought I would definitely die,” she said during her testimony. “I have a baby. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I have to make it home.”
She was taken into a marble bathroom and told to remain silent. After the robbers fled, Kardashian managed to free herself and alert her friend, who was left shaken and barefoot.
Khedache, a seasoned figure in the Paris criminal scene, orchestrated the robbery, with a zip tie ultimately leading to his identification. Wiretaps revealed that he was in the process of arranging the sale of stolen diamonds in Belgium.
Despite extensive searches, no stolen property was recovered. Khedache has claimed to be merely a foot soldier, attributing blame to an elusive figure known only as “X” or “Ben,” a claim the prosecutor disputes as non-existent.
Reports indicate that Khedache expressed regret in a memo, offering “a thousand pardons,” while other defendants also took the opportunity to voice their remorse.
