German Federal Court upholds convictions in Manching museum gold robbery

The German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) has upheld the convictions of three individuals involved in the 2022 robbery of the Kelten Römer Museum in Manching. The thieves stole a historically significant treasure consisting of 483 ancient gold coins and a gold casting cake, dating back approximately 2,100 years.

The sentences, ranging from seven to eleven years of imprisonment, were originally handed down by the Ingolstadt Regional Court. The court also ordered the confiscation of the value of the stolen goods. During the investigation, 72 of the stolen coins were recovered in the form of 18 melted gold lumps, an act classified as joint property damage.

A fourth defendant was acquitted of the specific charge of breaking into the museum due to insufficient evidence but was convicted of other offenses; his appeal was also largely rejected by the Federal Court of Justice.