The movies have glamorized heists over the years. Whether it is a band of friends trying to steal a prized jewel or misfits looking to score a priceless painting, heists have been elaborate plans perfectly executed on screen. Many people wonder if anyone could pull it off in real life.
Well, recently, a group of men were arrested and charged with the theft of a toilet. What’s so special about the toilet? It’s worth $6 million. Somehow, these men managed to steal it, but not without getting caught.
Four men are now facing charges for the theft of an 18-carat golden toilet from an iconic Palace in the South of England. The toilet was one of the highlights of an exhibition designed by an Italian conceptual artist at Blenheim Palace. The palace is a major tourist attraction in the area and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 18-carat golden toilet, named ‘America,’ was fully functional and was valued at $5.9 million ( 4.8 million pounds ). According to prosecutors, the four men carried out a heist one early morning in 2019.
Reports reveal that the perpetrators broke into the palace with two vehicles around 5 am. The exact details of how they managed to get into the palace are unknown, but they managed to make away with the toilet.
The British Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged one of the men, James Sheen, 39, with a single count of burglary and two counts relating to the transfer of criminal property. Additionally, the other three men, Michael Jones, Fred Doe, and Bora Guccuk, are also being charged for their roles in the heist.
The authorities have not yet disclosed details about how they were able to fish out the four men and arrest them for the 2019 heist. Furthermore, it’s not confirmed if the valuable toilet has been recovered yet. The authorities are yet to provide any comments.
Blenheim Palace is famously known as the birthplace and family home of the British-celebrated wartime leader, Sir Winston Churchill. When the toilet was stolen in 2019, the palace expressed shock and sadness at the nefarious act.
Blenheim Palace isn’t the only home for ‘America’. Before it was put up on display at the Palace, it was displayed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum. It was one of the main attractions in both places, with tons of tourists visiting to see what a toilet worth millions looks and functions like.
Unfortunately for the four men, things don’t exactly go the way they do in the movies. While their plans to steal the toilet had been successful initially, they weren’t able to get away with it. Just as the police are being vague with details about the theft and arrest of the suspects, the perpetrators haven’t shed any light on their initial plans to steal the item or what they intended to do after the fact.
It’s impressive to see that the police were able to arrest the people responsible for the heist. The four men made their first court appearance to face the charges against them on November 28.
