Toni Musulin
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = Toni Musulin
| native_name = Тони Мусулин
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|6|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
| occupation = Security van driver
| conviction_status = Released
| charge = Misappropriated Banque de France van
| conviction_penalty = Three years in prison on 12 May 2010, extended to five years on 3 November 2010
}}
Toni Musulin ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Тони Мусулин}}; born 8 June 1970) is a French man of Serb and Croat descent, and a former security van driver for the Loomis security firm.{{cite news|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/casse-du-siecle-toni-musulin-en-prison-16-11-2009-713401.php|title=Casse du siècle : Toni Musulin en prison|date=2009-11-16|publisher=Le Parisien|language=French|accessdate=4 December 2009}} He is known for having stolen €11.6 million from the Banque de France while on duty.{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Lizzy |title=French 'Robin Hood' jailed for three years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/12/bank-robber-anti-hero-jailed |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=12 May 2010}}
Musulin became a hot topic of conversation on a social networking website, where he was praised for "the heist of the century" and for doing it without resorting to violence or guns.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8350488.stm |title=France recovers security van cash |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-11-09 |accessdate=2009-11-17}}
Early life
Toni Musulin was born in Saint-Martin-d'Hères on 8 June 1970 and grew up in Seynod with his brother and sister after his family moved there shortly after his birth.
His father, Vinko Musulin, is an electrician who emigrated, when he was 22 years old, from Yugoslavia to France in 1965.[http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/societe/20100510.OBS3750/portrait-de-toni-musulin.html Portrait de Toni Musulin], nouvelobs.com, 10 mai 2010.
Toni Musulin's first career was as an electrician, like his father. At some point he founded a "{{ill|société civile immobilière|fr}}" (SCI Jacquemart) through which he bought an apartment building located 16 rue Jacquemart in Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme department, with the ground floor being rented out as small shop.{{cite web|url=https://www.ledauphine.com/drome/2009/11/10/le-chauffeur-de-fourgon-avait-fait-l-acquisition-d-un-immeuble-a-romans-sur-isere|title=Le chauffeur de fourgon avait fait l'acquisition d'un immeuble à Romans-sur-Isère|website=www.ledauphine.com}}
At the end of the 1990s he became a security van driver for Loomis, for which he worked for 10 years, until the theft. His mother, also of Serbian origin, had by then divorced his father and was living in New Caledonia with her daughter Laurène.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Societe/Actu/Toni-Musulin-pere-Monaco-convoyeur-Loomis-144949/|title=Toni Musulin n'a pas supporté la célébrité|first=Thierry|last=Gilles|date=16 November 2009|work=Paris Match}}
Shortly before the theft, he emptied his bank accounts of an amount of €137,000, which was a significant amount for someone being paid €1,700 per month. Most of that money was in fact obtained through loans from multiple banks.{{cite web |url=http://www.tonymusulin.fr/ |title=Home |website=tonymusulin.fr}}
He was 39 years old when the theft occurred.[http://www.20minutes.fr/article/362125/France-Tony-Musulin-un-Monsieur-Toutlemonde-a-la-double-vie.php Tony Musulin, un Monsieur Toutlemonde à la double vie], 20minutes.fr, 9 novembre 2009.
Theft
On 5 November 2009, Musulin stole the armored van he was driving containing €11.6 million. This was made possible by lenient application of security procedures. The armored van was found empty shortly later with its GPS tracking device disabled. On 7 November 2009, the police were tipped off by witnesses and searched a garage in which they found most of the stolen cash: 9.1 million euros as well as a hired van. The remaining 2.5 million however could not be found.{{cite web|author=AFP |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/11/09/01016-20091109ARTFIG00521-fourgon-vole-la-majeure-partie-du-butin-retrouvee-.php |title=Fourgon volé : la majeure partie du butin retrouvée |publisher=Le Figaro|date= 2009-11-09|accessdate=2009-11-17|language=French}} Musulin claimed that he left them in the van with the rest of the cash.{{cite news|url=https://fr.reuters.com/article/topNews/idFRPAE5B20UM20091203|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207114817/http://fr.reuters.com/article/topNews/idFRPAE5B20UM20091203|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-12-07|title=Toni Musulin assure ne pas savoir où est son butin|last=Lagrange|first=Catherine |date=2009-12-03|publisher=Reuters|language=French|accessdate=4 December 2009}} At the time of the theft, he had emptied his flat and bank account.{{cite news |last1=Roussel |first1=Cheryl |title=Poor pay made 'French Robin Hood' steal £10m |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poor-pay-made-french-robin-hood-steal-163-10m-1971357.html |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=The Independent |date=23 October 2011}}
Surrender
Interpol searched for Musulin in its 185 member states, with suspicions he might have fled to Serbia. He finally surrendered himself to a police station in Monaco on 16 November 2009. His lawyer claimed that Musulin surrendered because "he is a responsible man, he committed an offense, not a crime, and decided to face his responsibilities". Police on the other hand believe that it was a planned surrender and that Musulin had no intention of cooperating. They believe that after his prison sentence, Musulin will be free to enjoy the remaining 2.5 million euros, which are still nowhere to be found.{{cite web|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/11/17/01016-20091117ARTFIG00371-le-convoyeur-de-fonds-en-garde-a-vue-prolonge-a-lyon-.php |title=Le convoyeur de fonds en garde à vue prolongé à Lyon |publisher=Le Figaro |date=2009-11-17 |accessdate=2009-11-17|language=French}}
According to French law, since the theft did not include any element of violence, the maximum prison term is only three years, with possible parole after 18 months.{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/13099/le-convoyeur-tony-musulin-sest-rendu-il-risque-trois-ans-de-prison |title=Le convoyeur Tony Musulin s'est rendu, il risque trois ans de prison |publisher=Slate |date=2009-11-16 |accessdate=2009-11-17|language=French}} However, Musulin is also accused of false insurance claim. A few months prior to the van theft, Toni Musulin had declared that his red Ferrari F430 had been stolen, though in fact he had simply left it in Serbia.{{cite news|url=http://www.francesoir.fr/faits-divers-justice/tony-musulin-condamne-la-peine-maximale.48020|title=Tony Musulin condamné à la peine maximale|last=Briclot|first=Sandrine|date=2010-11-03|work=France Soir|publisher=France Soir|accessdate=20 November 2010}}
Trial and verdict
Musulin stated he stole in a rebellion against his boss citing bad working conditions and poor pay at the security firm. On 12 May 2010, a court in Lyon sentenced Musulin to three years in prison. On 3 November 2010, the sentence was extended to five years for the Ferrari F430 insurance fraud.
Release
On 29 September 2013, after four years in jail, Musulin was released from prison.{{cite web|url=https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Faits-divers/Toni-Musulin-La-liberte-n-a-pas-de-prix-532695|title=L'article intégral - Toni Musulin. La liberté n'a pas de prix|first=Paris|last=Match|website=parismatch.com}}
In movies
In 2013 a movie entitled 11.6 was released, based on the theft story, starring François Cluzet as Toni Musulin.{{cite web|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/2013/02/21/03002-20130221ARTFIG00644--116-ou-le-mystere-toni-musulin-sur-grand-ecran.php|title=11.6 ou le mystère Toni Musulin sur grand écran|date=21 February 2013|website=FIGARO}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091115071553/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939257,00.html How a Bank Robber Became an Antihero in France] - TIME - 16 November 2009
- [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6906774.ece Security van driver leaps to celebrity after speeding off with £10m]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} - The Times - 7 November 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musulin, Toni}}
Category:French people of Serbian descent
Category:French people of Croatian descent
Category:French prisoners and detainees