Famed art thief calls Louvre heist “almost record-breaking” in value

The weekend jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris is “almost record-breaking,” according to one of the world’s most notorious art thieves. Myles Connor, who famously stole a Rembrandt from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in the 1980s, spoke to ABC News about the audacious raid.

“The best they can do if they want any money is to hold onto the items for a few years and then approach the museum through a lawyer, saying, ‘We have people who can return these items, but they’re risking their lives,’” Connor explained. He estimates the stolen Louvre treasures could fetch up to $5 million.

On Sunday, several masked individuals posing as construction workers broke into display cases and stole jewelry that once belonged to Napoleon I and his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise. The thieves made their getaway on motorcycles. In total, at least nine pieces of “inestimable historical value” were taken, including crowns, necklaces, earrings, and brooches.

Connor emphasized the immense historical and cultural value of such artifacts and warned it would be tragic if they were destroyed. “It’s not just the value of the stones; it’s the history, the aesthetics, and what they represent to the country. These people will be condemned by all of France because they are national treasures,” he said.

Drawing from his own experience, Connor revealed that when he stole a Rembrandt, his goal was to use the painting as leverage to reduce charges against him. In the end, he not only avoided prosecution but also received $50,000 for returning the painting.

French authorities continue to investigate the Louvre robbery, though suspects have not yet been publicly identified.