Ilyas Kherbouch, known as "Ganito", was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Paris court on Friday. The 21-year-old was identified as the mastermind of the violent robbery at the home of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his partner, Alessia Elefante. The French Public Prosecutor's Office had requested a ten-year sentence for the defendant.
The robbery took place in the early morning of July 21, 2023, at the apartment where the couple lived in Paris. At the time, Donnarumma was playing for Paris Saint-Germain, a club he later left to play for Manchester City, where he currently plays. The couple was caught off guard while sleeping during the criminal act.
According to the prosecution, Kherbouch commanded the operation from his prison cell, using mobile phones found on the premises. The convicted man denied being the mastermind of the crime and claimed that the devices were also used by other inmates.
Kherbouch was already known to French authorities. He had escaped from Villepinte prison in March and is also linked to other kidnapping cases, which worsened his situation before the justice system.
