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A former employee of the Elysée Palace stole porcelain for years.
AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool
For over two years, an employee stole porcelain from the Élysée Palace and then sold it on the internet. Now the man has landed in court.
A former employee of the Élysée Palace in Paris has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for stealing valuable tableware from the French presidential palace and selling it on the internet. On Thursday, the court found Thomas M. guilty of stealing porcelain and other items worth several hundred thousand francs between 2023 and 2025.
Due to the long period of the crime, the number of items stolen and their financial and historical value, the court considered this to be a "serious" crime, said the presiding judge at the sentencing.
M. must wear an electronic ankle bracelet for one year, the second year is on probation. He must also pay a fine of 10,000 euros (9,200 francs) and may no longer work in a similar capacity. He will also never be allowed to enter an auction house again.
His accomplice Damien G. was also sentenced to two years' imprisonment. He must wear an electronic ankle bracelet for eight months, while the remaining 16 months were suspended on probation.
The two men sold most of the stolen goods via a business account on the trading platform Vinted and via Facebook. According to their own statements, they made around 15,000 euros (13,900 francs). Their most important customer Ghislain M., who bought almost 80 items, received a one-year suspended prison sentence.
The theft came to light last year when the French royal porcelain manufacturer Sèvres - which produces many of the valuable plates for the presidential palace - discovered several pieces on auction websites.
The investigation quickly led to M., who had been a contract employee in the Élysée Palace's tableware department since 2020. He was also the only employee with direct access to the keys to the storage rooms.
According to the manufacturer, the stolen porcelain had an estimated value of around 348,500 francs. The defense described this sum as "absurd". During the trial in February, the former waiter M. admitted that he had stolen the porcelain because of its beauty, but then decided to sell it because of his financial problems.
