Nine years after the horrific robbery of Kim Kardashian, the case file has been revealed and 12 suspects are set to appear in court in Paris on April 28 on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery in a gang.
As the trial date approaches, investigators have revealed the case file to the Daily Mail , giving the public a complete look at the shocking 2016 robbery: from the planning, surveillance, and organization of the armed robbery to how the gang divided up the loot and were caught by the police.
Kim Kardashian arrived in Paris for Fashion Week on October 2, 2016 before being robbed.
The ringleader and the robbery plan
The Kim Kardashian jewelry heist took place in the summer of 2016, when Aomar Aït Khedache (aka “Old” Omar), 69, the self-proclaimed ringleader of the heist, received word that the American celebrity, who often flaunted his wealth on Instagram, was coming to Paris. At the time, “traditional” criminals were turning to a new form of robbery called “sausage robbery,” which involved following rich people home, “tying them up like sausages,” forcing them at gunpoint to reveal where their treasures were hidden, and then robbing them.
According to the prosecutor, the information about Kardashian came from Florus Héroui, the owner of a bar in Le Marais, a central Paris district that is home to many professional criminals and the wealthy. Héroui is said to have received information about Kim Kardashian’s attendance at Paris Fashion Week from Gary Madar, who regularly greets celebrities at Paris Le Bourget airport. Gary Madar is trusted by Kim and has close ties to the car company she uses in France.
Bodyguards Pascal Duvier, Gary Madar and Kourtney Kardashian – Kim’s sister (from left) are seen at Charles-de-Gaulle airport on September 29, 2016 in Paris.
At the time, “Old” Omar was on the run after being arrested on drug charges. He sought refuge with his mistress Christiane Glotin (aka Cathy, 79). Cathy, who was convicted of drug trafficking in the early 1990s, is believed to have organized the robbery.
In 2016, Cathy, Omar, and other members of the group “looked at pictures of Kim’s jewelry online,” according to an investigator. “No one knew who Kim was, but they liked her expensive jewelry,” the investigator said. They also noticed that Kim had said she “never wore fake jewelry.” They were particularly interested in Kim’s $4 million, 18.88-carat engagement ring, which Kanye West gave her.
Kim Kardashian once attracted attention when she showed off a $4 million diamond ring on Instagram.
Omar told police that finding Kardashian’s address was easy: just follow her Mercedes V-Class to the Hôtel de Pourtalès, near La Madeleine church. Pourtalès, or “No Address,” is a luxury apartment complex that has hosted Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Madonna and Prince.
Intelligence suggests Kim will be staying alone in the Sky penthouse at Pourtalès, while her staff and family are out.
commit robbery
In the early hours of October 3, 2016, three cyclists wearing yellow vests approached the No Address hotel. Two others arrived on foot, all wearing masks and police armbands. The group overpowered the only doorman, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, 39. They pointed a 7.65 mm Mauser gun at Ouatiki’s head and led him up to the penthouse, where Kim was lying on the bed in a bathrobe. The 35-year-old mother of two was alone at the time, while her bodyguard Pascal Duvier had gone dancing at the L’Arc club with Kim’s sister Kourtney Kardashian.
Kim heard a noise outside and said “Hello!”, but no one answered. “I knew something was wrong,” she said.
Two men in police uniforms rushed in and secured the handcuffed Ouatiki. Kardashian tried to call 911 – the US emergency number – but was unsuccessful. “He put a gun to her head” Ouatiki recalled. ” She was crying, screaming, ‘Don’t kill me, I have a baby! Take what you want.’ She was only wearing a robe, her hair tied back.”
The robbers then taped Kim’s mouth shut, tied her up with plastic, and locked her in the bathroom. They stayed in the penthouse for 49 minutes, making off with about $10 million worth of property. As they fled, one of the robbers dropped a platinum diamond cross.
Kim’s hotel bedroom and the items used by the robbers to tie Kim up.
Kim Kardashian managed to untie herself and went to the apartment downstairs, where stylist Simone Harouche was hiding in the bathroom. Police were called and Kardashian was interviewed before she flew back to the US at 7:40 a.m. Her husband, Kanye West, immediately interrupted his concert in New York to go home for a “family matter”.
Police investigation process
Police found two DNA fingerprints on the ropes that bound Kardashian and Ouatiki. They matched the two suspects Omar (Aomar Aït Khedache) and Yunice Abbas, both of whom had criminal records.
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Police at the scene of Kim Kardashian robbery
Police collected surveillance footage and found several images, including a Peugeot 508 driven by Omar’s son Harminy Aït Khedache. Phone expert Christophe Korrell examined 7,591 calls around the area of the robbery and found “disposable” phone numbers belonging to Omar and other suspects, including Didier Dubreucq (nicknamed “Blue Eyes”) – the second man to enter the penthouse with Omar. Dubreucq had served 23 years in prison for robbing a post office and smuggling cocaine.
Police tracked the suspects, attaching GPS devices to their cars. At this point, Marceau Baumgertner (nicknamed “Rough Nose”), a dealer in stolen goods, appeared. Baumgertner, 70, was accused of “hiding stolen gold, jewelry and watches.” He had traveled to Antwerp with Omar and Christiane Glotin to sell Kim’s jewelry. Omar later told police that the gold had been melted down and resold, and that he “didn’t know” where Kim’s ring was.
On December 5, 2016, police tracked the gang down at a cafe in the Marais, near where Omar had received the Kardashian tip. A month later, on January 9, 2017, police arrested them all.
The suspects divided the loot at the cafe.
Omar initially denied the crime, but later confessed fully when he learned of the DNA evidence and heard that police were holding his son and his lover.
Police records show that a combination of DNA analysis, CCTV, phone taps and geolocation, along with a determined pursuit by detectives, helped nab Omar and his accomplices within two months of the robbery.
Because Kim Kardashian was so traumatized that she could not return to Paris for more than a year, Judge Armelle Briand had to travel to the United States to testify. Kardashian told the judge: “I felt like Paris was no longer the place for me. I remember feeling like my heart was going to fall out of my body. I thought I was going to die.”
Kardashian added: “This experience made me realize the world is no longer safe. My perception of valuables has changed. Holding onto expensive items becomes a burden.”
Kim tearfully recounted the robbery on an episode of the reality TV show “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”
Kim returned to Paris for fashion week in early 2018. By then, she had fired her old bodyguard and hired a new, more powerful bodyguard team. The American reality TV star also stopped wearing expensive jewelry to events. It is unclear whether Kim Kardashian will travel to Paris in April to testify against her attackers.
Twelve suspects, 11 men and one woman, were arrested, detained, and then released on bail pending trial. Nine years later, most of the key defendants are old and sick and have been released from high-security prisons. They will appear in court on April 28 at the Paris Court on charges of “armed robbery in a gang” and “kidnapping.”
Suspect Yunice Abbas, now 72, wrote a book titled: “I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian – Behind the Scenes of the Heist of the Century”.
The reason for the delay in court is said to be because the court is busy trying the terrorists and it is believed that the authorities want this shocking robbery of the American star to calm down for a while so as not to affect tourism in Paris, according to Dailymail.
The five main defendants were charged with “armed robbery in a gang” and “kidnapping”:
Aomar Aït Khedache, 69 years old
Nicknamed “Old Omar,” he is the self-proclaimed leader of the Omar & Co gang that carried out the Kardashian jewelry heist in October 2016. Aït Khedache, who was first detained for drug-related crimes at the age of 14, was released in April 2020 due to serious health conditions including heart problems. He now lives in the suburbs of Paris and has publicly admitted to kidnapping and robbing Kim Kardashian.
Yunnis Abbas, 72 years old
The suspect has spent at least 20 years in prison and admitted to being a supervisor during the Kardashian robbery. He underwent triple coronary bypass surgery while in prison. Abbas has written a book called I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian . He lives with his wife, Farida Abbas, in northern Paris.
Didier Dubreucq “Blue Eyes”, 69 years old
Didier is believed to be the second robber to enter Kim Kardashian’s apartment along with Omar. He previously served a 23-year sentence for robbing a post office and importing cocaine into Europe. A heavy smoker, he now has lung cancer and was the first person to be released from prison after being arrested in connection with the Kardashian star’s robbery.
Pierre Bouianère “Big Pierrot”, 72 years old
Allegedly one of the “brains of the Kardashian scheme”, Pierre now claims to have Alzheimer’s disease and lives in Grasse on France’s Mediterranean coast. A career criminal and drug smuggler who was arrested in 2006 for possession of two kilos of cocaine, Bouianère told police he was “retired”. He is believed to be the robber who dropped Kardashian’s jewellery as he fled the Paris hotel.
Marc-Alexandre Boyer “son”, 36 years old
Boyer, a self-described “dog sitter,” was sentenced to six years in prison for drug offences in 2013 but was cleared on appeal and released from prison in July 2016, just three months before the Kardashian robbery. According to police, he boarded the first high-speed train to Nice, southern France, the morning after the robbery. Boyer now lives in Antibes, near Nice.
Seven people were charged with “complicity”, “criminal association” and “concealment” of stolen property:
Christiane Glotin “Cathy”, 78 years old
Christiane has been a drug trafficker since the 1990s, living with many of the Parisian underworld’s biggest names, including “Old” Omar. She is said to have helped organise the Kardashian heist and travelled to Antwerp to sell the loot. A heavy smoker, she is currently being treated for throat cancer, as well as back and heart problems. Christiane now lives in Charenton-le-Pont in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris and is “involved in charity work”, according to close friends.
François Delaporte “Big Guy”, 61 tuổi
François is a drug dealer and counterfeiter. He is accused of being “associated” with Omar’s gang and “possessing false official documents”. He currently works for a construction company in Paris.
Florus Héroui, 52 years old
The bar manager is said to have passed information about Kim Kardashian’s Paris itinerary to Omar. When police raided his apartment after Kardashian’s robbery, they found £120,000 in cash wrapped in a wardrobe, eight mobile phones, a handgun and ammunition. Héroui is said to have exercised his right to remain silent during his detention and is now living with his wife in Paris, complaining of heart problems.
Harminy Aït Khedache, 38 years old
Omar’s son, nicknamed “Mimi,” is believed to have been the getaway driver on the night of the Kardashian robbery. When police raided his home, they found nine cell phones, along with a Beretta pistol and ammunition.
Gary Madar, 34 years old
The dapper VIP hostess worked for the car company Kim Kardashian used when she was in Paris. He is said to have provided details of her route to the robbers. Describing Madar as a “nice, easy-going person”, Kim Kardashian said: “When we arrived in Paris, we always looked forward to seeing his familiar face.”
Marceau Baumgertner “Junk Nose”, 70 years old
Marceau, who was the recipient of stolen goods from Omar & Co, was charged with “concealing stolen gold, precious stones and watches”. He has previously been convicted of money laundering and forgery. Investigators placed a GPS tracking device on Marceau’s car and determined that he had traveled to Antwerp several times to sell Kim Kardashian’s jewelry.
Marc Boyer, 62 years old
Marc Boyer is the father of suspect Marc-Alexandre Boyer. He was charged with “possession of a Class B firearm without a license” – specifically the WWI-era 7.65mm Mauser used to attack Kim Kardashian. Marc Boyer reportedly pulled out of the Kardashian robbery at the last minute and was replaced by his son Marc-Alexandre Boyer.
