DRESDEN, Germany — A German court on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, handed down sentences of up to six years in prison to five members of the notorious Remmo clan for their involvement in the largest art heist in modern history at Dresden’s Green Vault museum in 2019.
The stolen items were valued at over 113 million euros ($123 million), and while some of the loot was recovered, key pieces remain missing.
The convicted men, aged between 24 and 29, received sentences ranging from just under to just over six years for charges including armed robbery, aggravated arson, and grievous bodily harm.
Two defendants who were minors at the time of the crime received juvenile sentences.
A sixth defendant was acquitted due to a credible alibi. However, the plea deal has drawn criticism, as the defendants were not required to reveal their accomplices.
Ralph Knispel, president of the Berlin prosecutors’ association, expressed concern over the message this sends to other criminals.
Presiding Judge Andreas Ziegel referred to the theft as an act of “remarkable criminal drive” and acknowledged that some of the historic pieces may be lost forever.
However, he defended the plea deal, stating that without it, “the jewels which have been classed as irreplaceable would never have returned to the Green Vault.” Judge Ziegel also said he believed the thieves’ apologies to be sincere.
The Remmo clan, an extended family based in Berlin, is known for its connections to organized crime.
Two of the defendants, Wissam and Mohamed Remmo, were already serving time for the 2017 theft of a massive gold coin from a Berlin museum.
During the trial, which began in January 2022, the defendants revealed that the idea for the Dresden heist was conceived after a younger acquaintance visited the Green Vault and raved about the green diamonds on display.
The thieves entered the museum through previously damaged window bars, smashed a display case with an axe, and stole 21 pieces adorned with 4,300 jewels in less than five minutes.
Although authorities initially feared the haul was lost for good, the recovery of some artifacts provides a glimmer of hope that the remaining missing pieces may eventually be found.
