Impressive unsuccessful robbery in the Loire. up to 15 years in prison

Sentences of up to 15 years in prison were handed down on Friday, June 24, before the Assassins of Rhոնne were found guilty of an impressive 2017 attack on an armored van in Saint-Chamond (Loire).

The two main defendants, Rachid Mesus, 57, and Karim Nemmiche, 44, were sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to commit armed robbery. The double criminal, 32-year-old Adel Geruj, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In its verdict, the jurors rejected the qualification of the security officers as an assassination attempt on a local resident, whose lost bullet was found in her car.

The other four defendants were sentenced to six months to six years in prison, especially on charges of supplying weapons or criminal association with stolen vehicles. A sentence of seven to 20 years in prison was demanded on Wednesday. Former thief Michel Valero was sentenced to six months in prison and fined 3,000 euros just for carrying an illegal weapon because of three guns found in his house. The prosecution had demanded 12 years in prison against him on suspicion of supplying explosives to the Saint-Etienne team.

The facts took place at dawn, on September 25, 2017, in front of the Cathedral of Saint-Chamond. Armed with hats and armor, the criminals tried to block a van carrying more than 900 thousand euros with two stolen cars. But the porters managed to get out of the trap and fled under the attack of the attackers. A dozen rounds of ammunition were found, a bullet hole was found in the window of the preschool, and one was found in the living room of the resident. The robbers set fire to two cars, which during their flight left the aluminum frame, loaded with 1.8 kg of explosives. In the weeks following the failed robbery, investigators found explosives, weapons and stolen cars in a box in Saint-Etienne on suspicion of plotting a new attack.