Verdict expected to be delivered in Kim Kardashians Paris jewelry heist trial
The robbery was over in minutes, the fallout long: Nearly a decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian’s luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court will decide the verdict Friday in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history.Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out or aiding the crime during the 2016 Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian’s Paris residence, bound her with zip-ties, and vanished with $6 million in jewels.After delivering final statements in court, the defendants were dismissed Friday morning, with a verdict expected later in the day.At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Aït Khedache, the alleged ringleader and a veteran of Paris’ criminal underworld.Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence.
His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case.Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium.The loot was never found.Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier.
He blamed a mysterious “X” or “Ben” — someone prosecutors say never existed.Khedache asked for “a thousand pardons,” communicated via a written note, according to French media.
Other defendants also used their final words to express remorse.The accused became known in France as “les papys braqueurs” — the grandpa robbers.Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes, and one leaned on a cane.
Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute.But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances.The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a decision.The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping, and gang association.
If convicted, some of them could face life in prison.Kardashian’s testimony earlier this month was the emotional high point.In a packed courtroom, she recou...