Élysée Palace silver steward arrested for stealing thousands of euros’ worth of silverware

Visitors view a table dressed with plates and glasses for official dinners at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. France's national buildings and administrations were opened to the public for Heritage Days weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

PARIS — Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

The Élysée Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between 15,000 and 40,000 euros (US$17,500-$47,000).

The Sèvres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of Élysée staff led investigators to suspect one of the silver stewards, whose inventory records gave the impression he was planning future thefts.

Investigators established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped “French Air Force” and “Sèvres Manufactory” ashtrays that are not available to the general public.

Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sèvres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.

The two were arrested Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the Élysée Palace.

The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.

The trial was postponed to Feb. 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.