French Court Jails Crime Boss for Paris Child Pickpocketing Ring
A French court has sentenced crime boss Roberto Hamidovic to eight years in prison and fined him 500,000 euros for running a massive child pickpocketing ring in Paris.
A French court has sentenced a 48-year-old crime family patriarch, Roberto Hamidovic, to eight years in prison for orchestrating a massive child pickpocketing ring in Paris. The criminal network, operating for decades, forced children and teenagers to target tourists at major landmarks, including Disneyland Paris and the city's metro stations, yielding an average daily haul of roughly 25,000 euros.
Exploitation and Luxury
Investigators revealed that victims as young as ten were driven to locations such as Charles de Gaulle Airport or the theme park to steal from visitors, while being forced to lie about their ages to evade criminal responsibility. While the exploited children lived in squalid conditions in cheap hotels or abandoned buildings, the adult leaders funded a life of extreme luxury, frequenting casinos, luxury hotels, and gourmet restaurants, and purchasing expensive cars and designer clothes.
Sentencing and Expulsion
In addition to the eight-year prison term, Roberto Hamidovic was fined 500,000 euros. His wife, Leila, received a six-year prison sentence and a 300,000 euro fine, while five other family members received sentences ranging from five to seven years. Upon their release, all convicted individuals will be permanently deported from France. This trial marks the third major prosecution against the Hamidovic family, following similar landmark convictions in 2013 and 2025.
