An employee trusted to care for the French president's finest tableware is accused of quietly selling it off online. French police have arrested a silver steward at the Élysée Palace, along with two alleged accomplices, on suspicion of stealing porcelain and silverware from the presidential residence and listing them on resale platforms including Vinted. The missing pieces, some classified as national heritage, are valued at nearly $50,000. The case came to light after the palace's head steward noticed items had disappeared and alerted authorities, per the Guardian. Staff at the state-owned Sèvres Manufactory, the historic porcelain maker that supplied many of the pieces, then spotted what looked like Élysée items for sale online.
About 100 objects were recovered from the steward's home, vehicle, and locker, including Sèvres porcelain, champagne coupes from French fine crystal manufacturer Baccarat, and a René Lalique statuette. Investigators say the steward's own Vinted account featured a plate marked "French Air Force" and ashtrays stamped "Sèvres Manufactory"—objects not generally available to the public. Prosecutors also say his inventory lists suggested he was preparing for additional thefts.
The three suspects appeared in court on Thursday and are due to stand trial on Feb. 26; until then, they are under judicial supervision, barred from their professional roles, restricted from auction venues, and ordered not to contact each other. They each face up to 10 years in prison and a $175,000 fine, per NBC News. The arrests land amid broader anxiety over security at French cultural institutions. In recent months, thieves have hit Paris' Natural History Museum, a Limoges porcelain museum, the Maison des Lumières in Langres, and the Louvre. The pieces allegedly stolen from the Elysée have been returned, in contrast to the October heist at the Louvre in which crown jewels worth an estimated $100 million remain missing.
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