Repeat offender steals jewellery worth over €350,000 at Hôtel de Paris

The Peruvian had already spent 20 years behind bars pior to the trial in Monaco.

In Monaco for a trip combining business and pleasure, this New York couple is unlikely to be back any time soon. And who can blame them: five years ago, while staying at the Hôtel de Paris, they fell prey to a hardened middle-aged criminal with a history of offending that dates back to his youth.

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On 20 June 2019, while the tourists were staying in one of the luxurious rooms at the Monegasque palace, a man posing as a maintenance worker knocked on the door and asked to come in on the pretext that there was a problem with the air conditioning. The guest opened the door but was reluctant to let the man in. The supposed maintenance man insisted. Once in the room, he asked the guest to move into another room to carry out checks, and then proceeded to snatch the entire contents of the safe, including two Rolex watches, a Hermès watch, a necklace, a pair of earrings, three bracelets, a pair of cufflinks and a pendant.

By the time the couple discovered the scam, it was too late: the thief had already fled the Principality. They alerted the hotel staff, who immediately contacted the police. At the scene, the officers took palm and fingerprints and used CCTV footage to try to retrace the thief’s steps.

An international arrest warrant

He was spotted in the street with “shiny items” according to the police. The man changed clothes several times on his way down Avenue d’Ostende. The police later received the prints, which matched the person in the CCTV footage. He was also wanted on the French side of the border, in Cannes, for identical behaviour a few days earlier. The Monegasque authorities issued an international arrest warrant.

The thief was eventually extradited from Spain after giving himself up to Interpol agents, and arrived in Monaco on Tuesday 16 January, to stand trial on Monday 22 January. Escorted by police officers and in handcuffs at the magistrates’ court, the defendant found himself face to face with the New Yorker, who returned to Monaco for the trial. He spoke to the court’s President: “Everything you said is true,” he admitted through an interpreter. “How did you choose your victim?” asked Florestan Bellizona. The middle-aged man, dressed in a sweatshirt, with several days of stubble and tousled hair, admitted that he had been tempted by the watch he had seen his victim wearing earlier.

A criminal career of over 40 years

Where were the stolen items now? The defendant seemed to have difficulties answering the question. At first he said he had sold them in Italy in a corner shop for the modest sum of €23,000. “That is not a legitimate store… One of the watches alone is worth between €50,000 and €60,000,” replied the magistrate. The accused’s lack of clarity did not sit well with the prosecutor. “Where did you sell the goods? Don’t say you can’t remember! That’s not possible!”

The defendant said he was afraid of reprisals. Was he part of a network, the magistrates started to wonder. “I’ve done a lot of stealing in my time. I started when I was 13, stealing wallets from handbags. But today I want to change. The last thing I want to steal is the heart of my 12-year-old daughter, who is currently in Peru”, he said, apologising to his victim, who approached the bench. “I appreciate his apology, because I didn’t get one from the SBM. I even had to pay the hotel bill. I think it’s disgraceful,” complained the elegantly-attired American.

“Monaco must remain a special destination.”

Pierre-Anne Noghès-du Monceau was representing him. “The damages are both financial and emotional. Let me describe my clients’ feelings. They came to Monaco, to one of its best hotels, thinking that they would be able to wear their finest jewellery, their watches and diamonds. They were enjoying being well-treated, pampered in the luxury hotel, when someone invaded their privacy. This man compromised Monaco’s sacrosanct security. Yes, the safe wasn’t locked, but the guests were in their room at the time! And he stole items of jewellery that were gifts and souvenirs from their travels. Some of these items, particularly the watches, have appreciated in value since the theft, so taking into account their value, the financial damages are now estimated at €430,000 and the emotional damages at €20,000. I believe we need to be extremely firm to show that thieves are punished in Monaco. We need to send out a very strong message.”

Prosecutor Maxime Maillet fully agreed with the civil parties’ position. “Monaco must remain a special destination, where you don’t have to be concerned about your physical safety or that of your possessions. This gentleman has spent 20 years of his life in prison and is a seasoned offender. His actions are serious in several respects. I hear he has regrets, but to change your life, you have to come to terms with your past. In view of his criminal record, I’m asking for the maximum, five years’ imprisonment, with one suspended.”

Defence lawyer Maeva Zampori tried to describe her client’s character: “He comes from a large, very poor family, and he felt it was his duty to save them. He turned to crime very young, as a means of providing for his family. As he says himself, he has spent 20 of his 57 years in prison. This has created a great deal of stress for his family and for his daughter, who he didn’t see growing up. 2023 was a wake-up call for him. When he learned that he was wanted by Interpol, he realised the seriousness of his actions.”

The court gave the man a more lenient sentence of two years’ imprisonment. It also awarded compensation for emotional and financial damages of approximately €300,000 euros, less than the €450,000 that had been requested.