Betrayed by her friend, a wealthy Parisian woman robbed of a ring worth three million euros (Excerpt from Le Parisien)
Attorney Avner DOUKHAN was interviewed by the newspaper Le Parisien about this highly publicized case in which a wealthy Parisian woman was the victim of a robbery organized by her best friend.
Five people suspected of involvement in the armed robbery of a sumptuous ring in Paris have been referred to criminal court. Among them are a thug, a jeweler, and a friend of the victim.
The victim of the robbery brought a civil action to obtain compensation for her losses. She was represented by Avner Doukhan, a lawyer specializing in criminal law and member of the Paris Bar.
Le Bristol, Le Peninsula, Le Flandrin... The list of luxury establishments frequented by Danielle (name changed) gives an idea of her fortune. She drives her two Ferraris to her appointments beneath the gilded ceilings of Parisian palaces. At 49, this wealthy Parisian woman runs thriving real estate companies. On her wrist, she wears designer watches. On her finger, she wears an incredible ring given to her by her mother: a gold band set with precious stones, including an impressive 17-carat diamond. Estimated value: €3 million! Enough to arouse envy...
On January 17, after two and a half years of investigation, five people suspected of being involved to varying degrees in the theft of Danielle's precious jewel were referred to the Paris Criminal Court. Among them were a criminal, a student, a jeweler, and even a close friend of the victim. All are being investigated for criminal offenses. But in her ruling, the investigating judge explained that she had ultimately decided to pursue criminal charges "for reasons of expediency": theft by a group, criminal conspiracy, etc.
On May 22, 2017, Danielle was having dinner with her best friend, Tew S., and their respective children in her upscale apartment in Paris's 16th arrondissement. It was an almost daily ritual for these two inseparable friends. Around 11 p.m., the dishes had just been cleared away when the intercom rang. Danielle's 9-year-old son thought it was yet another "express" delivery from Amazon. He opened the door.
The victim had tried to hide her ring in the dog's basket.
Two men dressed in black burst in, wearing masks and motorcycle helmets. One brandishes a Glock pistol, the other a tear gas canister. "Sit on the floor!" they threaten. And ask, "Where's the safe?" Danielle is slapped. Her 17-year-old son finds himself with a gun pointed at his temple. In the confusion, the mother tries to hide her precious ring in the dog's basket. It's a wasted effort. The criminals take the ring and two Audemars Piguet watches worth €180,000. Ten minutes later, they jump into a gray BMW X5 and disappear into the streets of Paris.
Once they had been apprehended, officers from the Paris Criminal Investigation Department's anti-crime squad (BRB) were convinced that the thieves had been very well informed. Analysis of the building's CCTV footage reveals that the pair headed straight for Danielle's apartment without hesitation. Worse still, they looked away from the camera as they passed! Investigators are therefore working on the theory that someone close to the victim was involved.
Betrayed by a "big brother" and her best friend
Danielle's partner is described by investigators as a "courtesan" who lives off her. Initially suspected because he was known for theft and fraud, he was ultimately cleared of any involvement. However, one of his acquaintances caught the attention of the police: Mohamed C., a criminal with a reputation as a "muscle man and debt collector." The 41-year-old man had been introduced to Danielle because she was looking for a "big brother" who could set her eldest son, who was going through a difficult adolescence, on the right path.
Curiously, Mohamed C. drives around in a vehicle identical to that of the thieves. But there is something even more troubling. The suspect had numerous telephone contacts with a certain Tew S. in the weeks leading up to the robbery, first using their official lines and then using dedicated phones. This is Danielle's famous friend, who until then had been considered a victim. On the evening of the burglary, this forty-something woman, who had already been convicted of scams when she was younger, was spared any violence...
Under surveillance and wiretapped by investigators, Tew S. and Mohamed C. give themselves away on the phone. In a conversation with a friend, the former accuses the latter of being one of the robbers. As for Mohamed C., he was trying to sell a "precious stone," for which he had no certificate, for between €900,000 and €1.7 million. He presented himself to his contacts as either a diplomat or the son of Guinean dignitaries who had inherited the jewel.
Not-so-brilliant jewelers
He calls on two intermediaries to find a buyer. First, Jordan B., an unscrupulous professional jeweler. Convinced of the stone's fraudulent origin, Jordan even considers stealing it during the transaction! "He's going to sell the stone to a guy, there's a guy coming with the dough [...] We'll pick up the guy and send him to the slaughterhouse," he boasts in a wiretap. "It's crazy," he will defend himself in police custody.
Mohamed C. also turned to Abdel B., a hair salon manager. The latter found two diamond dealers in Antwerp who were interested in the stone. A meeting was arranged in Paris, from which the hairdresser hoped to earn a commission on the sale. In his defense, he stated that he was unaware that the jewel was stolen. "My client firmly maintains that he did not commit any criminal act. He is of a certain age and has no involvement in the world of crime," his criminal lawyer asserts.
On January 16, 2018, BRB police officers took action. In Mohamed C.'s bag, they seized a 17-carat white diamond, identical to the stone set in the ring belonging to the civil party represented by his criminal lawyer, Maître Avner Doukhan. The rest of the jewelry, however, remains missing. Only the Belgian diamond dealers were released without charge. Mohamed C., Tew S., and the two intermediaries were brought before an investigating judge. Once in custody, the thug and his girlfriend blamed each other for the robbery.
"I did nothing but give him information."
"I admit to receiving stolen goods, but I never went into that house to rob that family. Hurting children is despicable," Mohamed C. stated during questioning. He maintained this position until the end of the investigation. "My client admits to having helped the perpetrators of the robbery escape, but denies being one of them. In his view, they were hired by Tew S.," explained his criminal defense attorney.
The woman in question formally denies the charges and identifies Mohamed C. as the smaller of the two robbers and the sole instigator. "All I did was give him information, that's all," Tew S. told investigators. "He offered to help me pull off a heist to steal the ring so I could pay off my debts." " For this sports store employee, who says she regrets the harm caused to her friend, the plan was not supposed to involve weapons or violence. "In a context of psychological fragility, my client was manipulated by the other defendant," argues her criminal lawyer. "She did not order anything and was overwhelmed by the events."
In this explosive cast of characters, the second robber is missing. While exploring Mohamed C.'s contacts, investigators identify a certain Kimgue D., a business school student and Deliveroo delivery driver. On the evening of the robbery, his phone triggered a cell tower near Danielle's apartment. Arrested on May 16, 2018, and then charged, he justified his presence in the neighborhood... by his food deliveries.
As in this case, you can call on the services of Avner Doukhan, a lawyer specializing in criminal law, to obtain compensation for the damage you have suffered.
See also:
Two friends, a €3 million diamond, and a robbery (L’OBS) – June 28, 2020
A €3 million ring stolen in Paris, a friend of the victim and a jeweler among the suspects (Ouest-France) – February 17, 2020
See also: police custody, fraud, domestic violence, CRPC