Grandpa Robbers' Behind Kim Kardashian’s 2016 Paris Heist Face Trial

A group of elderly criminals, dubbed the "Grandpa Robbers" by the French media, are set to face trial in Paris for their role in the 2016 robbery of American reality TV star Kim Kardashian. The heist, which took place in the early hours of 3rd October 2016, saw Kardashian held at gunpoint and robbed of jewelry worth approximately $10 million, including a $4 million engagement ring gifted to her by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.

The mastermind behind the crime, 62-year-old Yunice Abbas, initially went home to rest after the heist, only to find his wife watching the news the following day. The headlines revealed the shocking robbery, which sent ripples through the global media. His wife immediately suspected his involvement, and Abbas later confessed in his memoir that the Kardashian robbery was meant to be his final job before retirement.

However, a series of blunders from both the robbers and the police led to their downfall. Abbas, along with his accomplices, was arrested in January 2017, three months after the crime. Today, ten members of the group are on trial in Paris, with five charged with participating directly in the robbery and six as accessories. The group is primarily made up of men born in the 1950s, earning them the media's "Grandpa Robbers" moniker.

Abbas and his 68-year-old accomplice, Aomar Ait Khedache, have confessed to their roles in the heist, while the others deny involvement. One of the suspects has since passed away, and another, aged 81, has been excused from the trial due to advanced dementia. The trial is expected to last nearly three weeks.
husband — that night, she was trapped in a nightmare.

On the night of 2nd October 2016, Abbas and his accomplices, dressed as policemen and armed with a gun, entered the Hotel de Pourtalès in Paris, where Kardashian was staying. They handcuffed the night receptionist and forced him to lead them to Kardashian's suite. The reality star, exhausted from attending Paris Fashion Week events, was alone in her room at the time. She was bound and threatened at gunpoint, with the thieves demanding her jewelry, including her engagement ring.

The robbers, who spoke little English, used an interpreter to communicate their demands. After taking the jewels and cash, they bound Kardashian with zip ties and duct tape before fleeing the scene on bikes and foot. Kardashian later freed herself and alerted her security guard, who returned to find her unharmed but traumatized.

Mistakes and Arrests

The robbers' poorly executed plan quickly unraveled, as they failed to account for modern police investigative techniques. Micro DNA traces left at the scene led police to identify Abbas and Khedache, whose past criminal activities had placed them under surveillance. Additionally, a passerby found and wore one of the stolen items, a diamond necklace, unaware of its origins, before realizing it had been stolen in the heist.
club - the men burst in, pushed her on the bed and started shouting.

Police tracking the gang’s phones eventually led them to their capture. Although the gang appeared to have information on Kardashian's whereabouts, investigators suggest that Gary Madar, a transport coordinator for the Kardashians, may have been an accessory by passing information to the thieves. Madar has denied the allegations, and his lawyer insists there is no proof to link him to the robbery.
club - the men burst in, pushed her on the bed and started shouting.

The Missing Ring and The Aftermath

After the robbery, the stolen jewelry was either melted down or sold off. Abbas reportedly received €75,000 for his share, though the engagement ring—worth millions—was never found. Abbas has stated that the gang was too afraid to sell the ring due to its high visibility.

Kim Kardashian, deeply affected by the incident, took a break from social media and spoke publicly about the traumatic experience. In an emotional interview, she recalled the fear she felt during the robbery and how it changed her perspective on materialism. Her sister, Khloe Kardashian, later confirmed that the family took extra security precautions and limited their social media posts after the incident.

The Trial

As the trial begins, it will delve into the details of the robbery and whether the gang had inside information on Kardashian's schedule. The court will also explore what happened to the missing jewels. Abbas and his co-defendants face a lengthy trial, with their fate hanging in the balance.

Kim Kardashian is expected to testify in court for the first time since the robbery, and her presence at the trial is sure to draw intense media attention. Despite the passage of almost nine years since the heist, the case continues to captivate global audiences, as it highlights the stark contrast between the elderly thieves and the celebrity they targeted.

Abbas, reflecting on his life of crime, wrote in his memoir that he hopes the fame of the case doesn’t unduly influence the judges. However, he has already prepared himself for the possibility of a prison sentence. "The problem with the past," he wrote, "is that it sticks with you as long as you live.


By [Wafricnews]