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Gerald Blanchard's crimes went from petty thefts and shoplifting to bank robberies and international crimes, which involved stealing Vienna's historical artifact, the Star of Empress Sisi. Blanchard gained notoriety for the innovative techniques he used while pulling these heists. He reportedly started stealing at a very early age and served time in a juvenile correctional facility for a grand theft at the age of 15.
According to reports, Blanchard was also a significant part of an international fraud and theft ring which was involved in million-dollar heists and robberies. It was during one of these robberies that law enforcement ultimately targeted him, which led to an arrest in early 2007. He was sentenced to eight years in prison but served about two years and was released in January 2010.
Hulu's latest documentary, titled The Jewel Thief, further delves into the life and history of criminal mastermind Gerald Blanchard, often called the "world's most ingenious thief." The documentary premiered earlier today on Thursday, July 13, and is now available to stream on the platform.
Here's a look at the official synopsis:
“The unbelievable first-hand account of Gerald Blanchard, one of the most creative, calculating and accomplished criminal masterminds in modern history. Two unlikely Winnipeg detectives track Blanchard across the globe as he perpetrates a series of increasingly elaborate heists in a quest for fame and notoriety through a life of crime."
The crimes of Gerald Blanchard: About the thefts, frauds, and heists from the criminal mastermind's past
1) Blanchard got involved in petty thefts at a very young age
According to The Cinemaholic, Gerald Blanchard was born in Winnipeg, Canada, where he spent his formative years before moving to Nebraska after his adoptive mother split with his wealthy step-father, which forced them to go from having everything to being left with almost nothing. This change in his life was one of the reasons he started stealing and shoplifting as he grew up.
2) He was first arrested at the age of 15 for grand theft and later, started scamming stores
ABC News reported that on the Easter Sunday of 1987, Blanchard disconnected an Iowa RadioShack's alarm system and stole all the inventory. He sold everything to his friends and teachers, but a SWAT team soon visited his house and he was arrested for the first time at the age of 15. He was sent to a juvenile correctional facility for grand theft and was released after only three months on probation.
Following his release, Gerald Blanchard started crafting fake receipts for items he shoplifted and returning them for a refund. Reports mentioned that using the money from these scams, he was able to purchase a house for his family by the time he turned 16 years old.
The Cinemaholic report mentioned that Blanchard was once again arrested in April 1993 for setting a car on fire, stealing the gun, badge, radio, and other gear of a police officer, and trying to escape on two occasions. This time, he was sentenced to seven years in Iowa for second-degree arson and second-degree theft. The felon was released after serving about four years and was deported to Canada.
3) An escalation in Gerald Blanchard's crimes, from thefts to bank robberies and international heists
While in Canada, Blanchard's criminal activities witnessed a major transition as he got involved in bank/ATM robberies, robbing at least $250,000 to $750,000 each time he hit. He used 22 aliases while committing these robberies across several Canadian states, including Alberta, British Columbia, Edmonton, Etobicoke, Ontario, and Winnipeg, among other parts of the country.
In 1998, the criminal mastermind stole the Star of Empress Sisi from Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace. He reportedly replaced the original ornament with a replica he bought from the gift shop, a swap which was only discovered two weeks after it had actually happened.
Detailing his heist, Blanchard revealed that he toured the palace a few days before. Authorities believed he was with his wife and father-in-law who posed as tourists while he disarmed the alarm and made the swap. The thief later confessed to using a parachute to land on the palace roof after jumping off a small plane and stealing the Sisi star in the middle of the night.
4) He was arrested about three years after authorities targeted him during a bank robbery
Gerald Blanchard became a police target after a heist he pulled at a CIBC bank in 2004. Nearly three years later, in January 2007, Winnipeg detectives arrested him on the charges of conspiracy, fraud, participating in a criminal organization, theft, and trafficking. That year in October, he pleaded guilty to 16 out of the 54 charges brought against him and was sentenced to eight years in a Canadian prison. Blanchard was released in January 2010 on parole after serving two years.
Watch The Jewel Thief, now streaming on Hulu.
