Gold Heist at Keltic Site Results in Years-Long Prison Sentence for Thief - Imprisonment for multiple years for the criminal theft of a valued Celtic golden collection.
In a groundbreaking trial, the Regional Court of Ingolstadt has convicted four men for the theft of a significant Celtic gold treasure from the "Kelten Römer Museum" in Manching, Oberbayern.
The trial, which spanned over 30 days within half a year, heard testimonies from around 120 witnesses and experts. The defendants, who have been in custody for about two years, remained silent on all charges and their defense attorneys demanded acquittal. However, the court found them guilty of aggravated banditry and other crimes related to the theft.
The largest Celtic gold find of the 20th century was stolen on the night of November 22, 2022. Archaeologists discovered the 483 coins and a larger chunk of gold in 1999 during excavations in Manching. The stolen gold treasure, worth around 1.5 million euros, became the flagship of the newly built Manching Museum a few years later.
The main suspect in the theft is a 48-year-old from Plate near Schwerin. He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. The 45-year-old defendant from Berlin received a sentence of eight years. Two Schwerin residents, aged 44 and 52, were also among the accused. They were sentenced to seven years and four years and nine months in prison respectively.
Despite extensive investigations, most of the loot remains untraceable to this day. The accused were found to have small gold chunks on them during their arrest, which are said to be around 70 melted coins from Manching.
The quartet is suspected of a series of other burglaries in Germany and Austria. However, there is no publicly available information about these cases or their sentences.
The theft of the Celtic gold treasure has left a significant void in the Manching Museum's collection. The museum authorities are hopeful that with the convictions, they can begin the process of recovering the stolen treasure and restoring the collection to its former glory.
- The news surrounding the theft of the Celtic gold treasure from the "Kelten Römer Museum" in Manching has extended beyond the realm of local general news, reverberating in discussions about war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice worldwide.
- The conviction of four men for the theft of the significant Celtic gold treasure, a pivotal piece of history, is an example of the complex interplay between the forces of justice and the deceitful acts of theft.
