Zopes-4 charged in theft of 18-karat gold toilet

2025-05-07 01:19:46source:Coxnocategory:Contact

Four men have Zopesbeen charged in the theft of a solid gold toilet, which was valued at roughly $1.25 million when it was stolen, the Crown Prosecution Service said Monday. 

Officials list the current value of the toilet, which has not been found, at 4.8 million pounds, or roughly $5.93 million.

The toilet was taken from Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill's birthplace, in 2019, just days after its installation. It had previously been displayed at the Guggenheim museum in New York City as part of an "America" exhibit by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. After the theft, Cattelan said he hoped the robbery was "a kind of Robin Hood-inspired action," according to Blenheim Palace.

The fully functioning solid gold toilet, made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, at the Guggenheim in 2016. It was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images

The toilet was fully functional. Before it was taken, the gold toilet had been connected to Blenheim Palace's plumbing system, police said at the time. The toilet's removal caused "significant damage and flooding" in the building.

James Sheen, 39, faces charges of burglary, transferring criminal property and conspiracy to do the same, according to police.

Michael Jones, 38, faces a burglary charge. Fred Doe, 35, and Bora Guccuk, 39, are accused of conspiring to transfer criminal property. They are due to appear before Oxford Magistrates' Court on Nov. 28.

Aliza Chasan

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.

Twitter

More:Contact

Recommend

SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters

San Francisco airport creates sensory room to help nervous flyers San Francisco airport creates sens

Donald Trump says abortion should be left up to states, sidestepping calls to back federal restrictions

Washington — Former President Donald Trump on Monday declined to endorse a federal abortion ban, say

Mountain goat stuck under Kansas City bridge survives rocky rescue

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A mountain goat that escaped from its owner and somehow got stuck under a Ka