Gang convicted of stealing solid gold toilet named America

RT.com
20 Mar 2025, 09:22 GMT+10

The artwork by Maurizio Cattelan was broken apart and never recovered, prosecutors said

Three men have been convicted of stealing a $6.4 million solid gold toilet, named 'America', from an English museum.

On Tuesday, the jury at Oxford Crown Court found James Sheen, Michael Jones, and Frederick Doe guilty of committing burglary at Blenheim Palace in 2019.

The fully functional 18-carat toilet created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan "offers a wink to the excesses of the art market but also evokes the American dream of opportunity for all," according to the description from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

More than 100,000 people queued to use the toilet after it was first installed in the Guggenheim in 2016, according to the museum. The artwork left the New York art scene a year later for Blenheim Palace in the UK.

Prosecutor Shan Saunders claimed that a gang of five broke into the palace in an early morning raid and disconnected the toilet from the mains, before absconding. The artwork was quickly "broken up or melted down and sold," he added, claiming that the gold has never been recovered.

"This was an audacious raid which had been carefully planned and executed - but those responsible were not careful enough, leaving a trail of evidence in the form of forensics, CCTV footage and phone data," Saunders told the court.

A gold toilet created by Maurizio Cattelan displayed in the Guggenheim Museum in New York on September 16, 2016.

Christina Horsten / picture alliance / Getty Images

(RT.com)

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Calgary Monitor.

More Information

null in null

North America

Section

Trump, Zelenskky agree; US-Ukraine to continue working together to bring about end to war

Washington, DC [US], March 20 (ANI): US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed that Ukraine...

US federal immigration authorities detain Indian post-doctoral student

Washington, DC [US], March 20 (ANI): US federal immigration authorities have detained a Georgetown University researcher studying and...

US Senator Nelson thanks God and NASA after Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore return to Earth

Washington, DC [US], March 20 (ANI): US Senator and the NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has thanked God and employees of the US space...

US: 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana files request with Chief Justice Roberts to stop extradition to India

Washington, DC [US], March 20 (ANI): 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana has filed a request with US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts...

Gang convicted of stealing golden toilet

The artwork by Maurizio Cattelan was broken apart and never recovered, the prosecutor said Three men have been convicted of stealing...

Gang convicted of stealing solid gold toilet named America

The artwork by Maurizio Cattelan was broken apart and never recovered, prosecutors said Three men have been convicted of stealing...

Canada

Section