‘I’m going to do it again’: Cat burglars who targeted Chelsea star Silva and PSG team-mate Choupo-Moting are sentenced in Paris
A group of cat burglars who stole millions of dollars' worth of goods from the Paris residences of big names in sport, television and music, including ex-PSG stars Thiago Silva and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, have been sentenced.
The eight criminals, including one known as 'The Cat' for his agility and another who vowed to escape and repeat his crimes, carried out a series of seven burglaries from 2018 to 2019.
In addition to the two footballers, their victims included TV host Patrick Sebastien, rapper Booba, celebrity chef Jean-Pierre Vigato, a Saudi Arabian businessman and a high-profile law firm.
Aged between 27 and 31, seven of them were men who took part in the burglaries while a woman was convicted of receiving stolen goods and possession of a weapon.
Thiago Silva's house in France was robbed when he was away with PSG. €1m worth damages; including a €600,000 worth watch.
In her home, they found a handgun and handwritten notes that contained the names and addresses of other intended targets including TV presenters Laurent Ruquier and Thierry Ardisson, as well as French sports commentator Pierre Menes.
The court heard how the gang broke into their victims' residences when they were away, either through windows or bay windows, by employing gutters and cornices.
Stealing jewelry, luxury watches and leather goods, their haul totaled an estimated $5 million.
The longest of the sentences were given to two men: Mohamed S., known as 'The Cat', and Abdelazim G, who both received six years' imprisonment in addition to a $23,700 fine.
The five other men were given sentences ranging from one to four years' imprisonment and fines of around $6,000 to $18,000 for their part in the burglaries.
In total, the seven men copped as many as nine to thirty convictions each. On trial, they claimed they made mere tens of thousands of dollars from reselling the stolen items – blowing the spoils on cars, traveling and living the high life in nightclubs.
As Mohamed was led away by a police escort, Abdelazim reportedly shouted: "I'm going to get out of prison. I'm definitely going to do it again."
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