Germany: Museum worker steals, sells 3 paintings to pay off debt, buys Rolls Royce, expensive watches

An employee at a German museum reportedly stole and auctioned off at least three artworks to pay off his debts and purchase luxury goods. In one case, he swapped out a painting with a fake one and sold the original by claiming it belonged to his grandparents.

The 30-year-old man, who worked at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, has now been convicted of stealing three artworks and ordered to pay back more than $64,200 to the museum. He was also handed a 21-month suspended sentence, meaning he won’t have to go to jail.

Watch:British museum seeks public aid to recover stolen artefacts

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Munich District Court said the sentence took into account his “genuine remorse.” “He said he acted without thinking,” read the court ruling. “He can no longer explain his behavior today,” it added.

What paintings did he steal?

The man, whose details authorities have not provided owing to strict privacy laws, worked with the museum from May 2016 to April 2018.

He first stole “Das Märchen vom Froschkönig” (The Tale of the Frog Prince) by Franz von Stuck and replaced it with a fake one. Then, he auctioned it off to a Swiss gallery for $74,000 and received almost $52,000 in cash.

He had claimed the painting was owned by his grandparents or great-grandparents.

He also stole three more paintings from the museum but managed to sell only two of them. Those were “Die Weinprüfung” (The Wine Test) by Eduard von Grützner and “Zwei Mädchen beim Holzsammeln im Gebirge” (Two Girls Collecting Wood in the Mountains) by Franz von Defregger.

The sale further gave him more than $12,000.

Used money for a luxurious lifestyle

He used the money to pay off debts and fund a “luxurious lifestyle,” the court said, adding: “The defendant shamelessly exploited the opportunity to access the storage rooms … and sold valuable cultural assets in order to secure a high standard of living for himself and to show off.”

He is believed to have bought a Rolls Royce and expensive wristwatches with the money.

The Deutsches Museum in a statement to CNN said it was trying to recover the paintings.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE