A high-profile trial opened in Paris on Monday, April 28, 2025, to address the audacious 2016 robbery of U.S. reality TV star Kim Kardashian, during which masked men stole $10 million worth of jewelry from her luxury apartment during Paris Fashion Week.
Ten suspects, primarily men in their 60s and 70s with criminal histories and underworld monikers like “Old Omar” and “Blue Eyes,” face charges ranging from armed robbery and kidnapping to complicity and illegal weapon possession, as reported by Reuters and AP News. Kardashian, now 44, is scheduled to testify in person on May 13, a significant moment in a case that captivated global headlines.
The heist occurred on October 3, 2016, at the discreet Hotel de Pourtalès in Paris’ 8th arrondissement. Five men, disguised as police officers with ski masks and fake armbands, threatened the concierge, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, at gunpoint, forcing him to lead them to Kardashian’s suite, per BBC. They tied up Kardashian, then 35, gagged her with duct tape, and locked her in the bathroom, stealing a $4 million diamond engagement ring from Kanye West and a jewelry box worth $6 million. The robbers fled on bicycles, leaving Kardashian “badly shaken but physically unharmed,” according to her publicist, as cited by Reuters. The theft, France’s largest against an individual in two decades, exposed vulnerabilities in celebrity security.
Among the accused, Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, known as “Old Omar,” and Yunice Abbas, 71, have admitted involvement, with Abbas authoring a book, I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian, though barred from profiting, per AP News. Others, including Gary Mader, a VIP greeter, and Florus Heroui, a bar manager, are charged with providing information on Kardashian’s movements, allegedly gleaned from her Snapchat posts, per court documents cited by BBC. The suspects, dubbed “grandpa robbers” by French media due to their age, were arrested in January 2017 after DNA evidence and surveillance footage linked them to the crime. Many, now with health issues, are free under judicial supervision.
The trial, expected to last three weeks, will probe how the gang exploited Kardashian’s public schedule and her bodyguard’s absence, as he was with her sister Kourtney at a nightclub. If convicted, those facing serious charges could receive 7 to 10 years in prison. Kardashian’s testimony is anticipated to draw intense scrutiny, revisiting an ordeal that led her to overhaul her security and reduce social media activity. The case underscores the clash between old-school criminals and modern celebrity culture, with implications for privacy and safety in the digital age.