Eight Convicted in Armed Robbery of Kim Kardashian at Paris Hotel
- Victor Nwoko
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Eight men have been found guilty in connection with the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian at a luxury Paris hotel, where the American reality TV star and entrepreneur was held at gunpoint and robbed of millions of dollars’ worth of jewellery.
The verdict was delivered by a six-member jury and three presiding judges at the Palais de Justice in Paris following a four-week trial. The defendants, many of whom are elderly and were dubbed the "grandpa robbers" due to their age, received varying sentences including suspended prison terms and fines. None of those convicted will serve additional jail time due to time already spent in pretrial detention, and all left court as free men.
The robbery occurred on October 3, 2016, during Paris Fashion Week. The attackers, disguised as police officers and wearing ski masks, broke into the Hotel de Pourtalès in the early morning hours. They tied Kardashian up with zip ties, placed her in a bathtub, and stole jewellery valued at approximately $6 million, including a ring gifted by her then-husband, Kanye West.
The ringleader, 69-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, received an eight-year sentence, with five years suspended. Khedache, whose DNA was discovered on the bindings used during the robbery, played a central role in orchestrating the heist. He was captured on wiretaps coordinating the operation, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to traffic the stolen diamonds to Belgium. Three other men facing the most serious charges were each sentenced to seven years in prison, with five years suspended.
The court also convicted a ninth individual on weapons-related charges, while one suspect was acquitted. Several of the men arrived in court using canes and wearing orthopedic shoes, which, along with the long delay between the crime and the trial, were considered in the court’s sentencing decisions.
Chief judge David De Pas acknowledged the emotional trauma inflicted on Kardashian, stating, "You caused harm. You caused fear." During the trial, Kardashian described the robbery as a "terrifying" experience and said she feared she would be raped or killed.
Following the verdict, Kardashian, who was not present in court, released a statement thanking French authorities. “The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” she said. “While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all.”
Two of the convicted men, Khedache and Yunice Abbas, have publicly admitted involvement in the robbery. Abbas later wrote a book titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. Most of the stolen jewellery remains missing, with only a diamond-encrusted cross that was dropped during the escape ever recovered.
This high-profile heist, one of the most audacious celebrity-targeted crimes in recent French history, shocked the world and sparked a broader conversation about celebrity security and privacy.
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