Gang Convicted and Sentenced for $100 Million Jewel Heist at German Museum

A German court has handed down multiple convictions and prison sentences to five men involved in the high-profile theft of 18th-century jewels valued at over $100 million from the Green Vault Museum in Dresden in 2019, The Associated Press reports. The defendants, aged between 24 and 29, were found guilty of the break-in and theft of 21 pieces of jewelry containing more than 4,300 diamonds. The court ruled that the men committed particularly aggravated arson, theft with weapons, damage to property, and intentional arson. Their elaborate plan involved setting fires to cut the power supply and fleeing to Berlin after the heist. They were later apprehended in Berlin during police raids. One defendant was acquitted while the others received prison sentences ranging from four years and four months to six years and three months. The Green Vault Museum, established in 1723, houses the treasury of Augustus the Strong and features around 4,000 objects made of gold, precious stones, and other valuable materials.