Five young Germans have been convicted by a judge for a spectacular jewelry heist in Dresden four years ago. The sentences for the men between the ages of 24 and 29 range from four to more than six years in prison. A sixth suspect was acquitted because, according to the court, he had a conclusive alibi.
In November 2019, the five broke into the Grünes Gewölbe museum. They made off with diamonds and brilliants with a total value of 116.8 million euros. They caused more than a million euros in damage to the museum during the robbery.
In just a few minutes, the criminals managed to break in by smashing a window after causing a fire in an electrical box. This caused a power failure and the men were able to empty a display case with masterpieces in five minutes.
The burglars fled in an Audi A6, which they set on fire in a parking garage a few miles away. Investigators found a revolver, ammunition and a crowbar in the burnt-out car. The bars of the window through which they had entered the museum were also in the car wreck.
Roland Wöller, the interior minister of the state of Saxony, said shortly after the robbery that works of art of “immeasurable value” had been stolen. “The immaterial damage cannot be expressed in value. It is an attack on the cultural identity of all Saxons.”
In December last year, the vast majority of the stolen jewelery was recovered.
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