Who is Michel Germani? Celebrity jeweller faces retrial after jury fails to reach verdict in alleged staged $2.8 million heist case

A jury in the trial of celebrity jeweler Michel Germani has been discharged, as per The Sydney Morning Herald. According to reports, the jury couldn't decide if Michel was guilty of some charges in staging a $2.8 million robbery at Sydney's Hilton Hotel.

The note by the jury reportedly read:

"It is clear further deliberation will not change the current deadlock"

Germani is a celebrity jeweler known for designing jewelry for Princess Diana, Princess of Wales. As per his LinkedIn, he has been a jeweler for over forty years, since 1985, and has a master's degree in Gemmology.

In 2023, a robbery was reported at Michel Germani’s Sydney Hilton Hotel store. The reported date and time of the robbery was January 10 around 6:30pm.

As per SMH, Germani's alleged accomplice, Mounir Helou, was seen with another man making their entry into the store. Soon after, a fake robbery took place, showing Lana Al-Khoury, Germani's assistant, along with Germani tied using cable ties.

While at first, many believed it to be a real robbery, it reportedly turned out to be a staged robbery, as per the police. It was reportedly planned by Germani, who was due to pay $184,000 to the hotel.

Germani later went on trial for allegedly faking the $2.8 million robbery. Along with him, his alleged accomplices Andrea David Cusumano and Mounir Helou were also on trial. However, as per The Sydney Morning Herald, their trial lasted only two months.

Michel Germani admits to faking robbery

After the incident, Michel Germani and his accomplice Mounir Helou admitted that the robbery was staged and Lana Al-Khoury knew about it. Additionally, they also admitted to making a false insurance claim for reportedly 164 jewelry items. However, he never received it.

He denied holding Lana Al-Khoury against her will or using force against her to go ahead with the plan. As of now, Germani remains on retrial. Since the jury couldn't reach a verdict, Germani will soon be facing a retrial to decide if he's guilty or not in the case.

What happened to Andrea David Cusumano?

While Michel Germani faces a retrial over the allegations connected to the fake million dollar heist, Andrea David Cusumano, who was also linked to the case, was alleged to have had only a minor involvement.

Authorities claimed his main role was activating a phone believed to be used in organizing the staged robbery. He was found guilty of trying to get money through dishonest means. As of now, he is out on bail.

As per the recent updates, Germani and Helou will be visiting the court on July 28 to know more updates on their retrial.

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