A senior member of staff at France's presidential palace is to stand trial for the alleged theft of precious tableware, including Baccarat champagne glasses and Sèvres porcelain plates.
Around 100 objects that were reported missing from the presidential collection were allegedly later found in the closet, car and home of Thomas M, who is reported to be the head butler at the Élysée Palace. He will stand trial along with two others.
Investigators say they found some of the items - thought to be worth between 15,000 and 40,000 euros - on his Vinted account, the Telegraph reports.
This comes just months after the Louvre Museum in Paris suffered a robbery in which 88 million euros worth of jewelry was stolen.
French media reported that Thomas M's role as head waiter and custodian of precious silver included setting tables at state dinners and other prestigious events.
He is accused of stealing items over several months and falsifying records to cover his tracks.
Also among the suspected stolen goods are solid silver cutlery and a René Lalique figurine.
The inventory kept by Thomas M suggested he was planning to steal more goods, prosecutors say.
According to French media TF1 Info, the Élysée Palace has already posted a job announcement to find his replacement.
Officials at Sèvres - France's state-owned porcelain factory - also identified some of their items on online auction sites, including a plate stamped with an air force stamp and backgammon.
Thomas M was arrested on Tuesday, December 16, on suspicion of theft, along with his partner Damien G - a collector and manager of an online auction company.
A third man, Ghislain M, was arrested a day later, accused of receiving stolen goods. His "passion" for rare antiques has been cited by his lawyer as behind his alleged involvement.
According to Le Parisien - which first reported the case - he was working as a guard at the Louvre at the time and has been banned from returning until the trial is over. The trial is scheduled for February. /Telegraph/
