Two men have been sentenced to prison for stealing an 18-carat gold toilet worth $6 million from Blenheim Palace in 2019.
James Sheen, the mastermind, received four years in prison, while Michael Jones got 27 months. The artwork, titled “America” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was stolen in a five-minute heist where thieves smashed through gates and broke a window to access the 200-pound toilet.
Despite careful planning, the criminals left extensive evidence including DNA and gold fragments. Prosecutors believe the toilet was cut into pieces and sold.
The artwork had previously been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York as a statement about inequality.