The place Are ‘The Diamond Heist’ Thieves Now? All About Their Lives At this time

The Millennium Dome raid was a heist with so many twists it may have been a Man Ritchie film — however now, it is a Netflix docuseries govt produced by him.

The Diamond Heist, which premiered on April 16, follows the story of Lee Wenham, one of many masterminds behind what would have been one of many largest jewel thefts in historical past.

In November 2000, Wenham and 6 others, usually referred to as the “Diamond Geezers,” tried to steal the De Beers Millennium Star diamond, which boasts a whopping 203 carats and, in line with the Netflix movie, was price an estimated £350 million — which interprets to greater than $462 million.

Sadly for Wenham and his crew, the British police foiled their plan in an elaborate takedown chronicled in The Diamond Heist.

So, the place are the thieves from The Diamond Heist now? Here is every little thing to learn about Lee Wenham and the remainder of the Millennium Dome raid criminals right this moment.

Who was concerned within the Millennium Dome raid?

Ray Betson was thought of the mastermind of the Millennium Dome heist. He drove the JCB excavator car by way of the constructing’s perimeter and recruited many of the different gamers, in line with The Guardian.

Earlier than the heist, his rap sheet primarily consisted of promoting unlawful overseas imports. He received his first conviction at age 14 for housebreaking; earlier than the notorious tried theft, he had 18 whole convictions and had spent three years in jail, per the British publication.

Wenham helped Betson plan the heist. Within the docuseries, Wenham defined that he was pulled out of faculty when he was simply 12 years previous as a result of his dyslexia made it troublesome to learn and write. At that time, he received into crime by working together with his father, who was allegedly an area gangster.

Robert “Bob the Builder” Adams assisted by breaking by way of the protecting glass housing the diamonds on the Millennium Dome with a sledgehammer, in line with The Solar. However Adams was recruited for the heist simply someday earlier than it befell, per The Guardian.

He had one earlier felony conviction for stabbing his former finest pal within the abdomen after his pal allegedly had an affair together with his spouse. In The Diamond Heist, Wenham stated that Adams was chosen for his perceived capability to get into the vault, including, “He took the entire job prefer it was simply one other day of going to the workplace.”

William “Invoice” Cockram used a nail gun to weaken the glass surrounding the diamond show, permitting Adams to interrupt it with the sledgehammer extra simply, per The Solar. Earlier than the heist, he spent 15 months behind bars for numerous crimes. Captions in The Diamond Heist docuseries described Cockram as “the muscle,” chosen to take care of safety guards in case of a struggle.

Aldo Ciarrocchi, then 29, was the youngest member of the raid and the so-called “technician,” in line with The Diamond Heist. He assisted by throwing smoke bombs as a distraction exterior the vault.

Ciarrochi’s motive was allegedly romantic; he had reportedly fallen in love with American mannequin Elisabeth Kirsch and spent lavishly on items for her. He allegedly deliberate to make use of the cash he made within the heist on airfare to maneuver to the US to start a brand new life together with her.

Terence “Terry” Millman was the getaway driver. He had a felony historical past that included armed theft and a earlier 14-year jail sentence. Within the docuseries, Wenham described Millman as a “madman” who had no points taking pictures somebody if wanted.

Kevin Meredith had no felony file, having solely borrowed cash from Cockram to repair his boat. 4 days earlier than the raid, Cockram referred to as within the favor, allegedly providing to pay Meredith £10,000 to drive the thieves away by way of boat on the Thames River.

How did the robbers get into the Millennium Dome?

Wenham revealed in The Diamond Heist that he and the “Diamond Geezers” seen a number of building work happening across the space of the Millennium Dome. It gave them the concept to make use of a JCB — a bulldozer — to penetrate the metal gates and obstacles across the venue.

“It is mainly a tank in disguise,” Wenham defined. “I knew the JCB was going to work, 100%.”

Wenham stated he stole the car and put it right into a safehouse forward of the heist.

How did The Diamond Heist thieves get caught?

For all their meticulous planning, the “Diamond Geezers” have been at an obstacle from the beginning: Somebody tipped off police to the plan in the summertime of 2000, BBC Information reported, months earlier than the heist befell that November.

That gave authorities and Millennium Dome employees loads of time to organize for the tried theft; they even named their plan “Operation Magician.”

That September, Wenham was caught on safety cameras casing the Millennium Dome and Cockram and Betson have been seen testing their getaway speedboat.

The day of the raid, 200 armed officers have been on the Millennium Dome, a lot of them disguised as venue employees, in line with The Guardian. The police intentionally did not attempt to cease the try, as a substitute opting to observe the thieves as they tried to hold out the heist.

Figuring out the theft would happen, the precise DeBeers diamonds had been changed by nugatory, faux replicas — so the “Diamond Geezers” by no means had their arms on the precise gems. Police opted to let the thieves into the vault, the place they arrested Adams, Betson, Ciarrocchi and Wenham. They then apprehended Millman from a close-by van.

What have been the sentences for the robbers within the Millennium Dome raid?

Millman died from abdomen most cancers on July 13, 2001, earlier than the trial started, in line with The Guardian. He was 57 years previous and in hospice care on the time.

The remaining “Diamond Geezers” stood trial in November 2001.

Betson and Cockram have been every sentenced to 18 years in jail for conspiracy to rob, with their sentences later being lowered to fifteen years, per The Guardian.

Adams was sentenced to fifteen years for conspiracy to rob. Ciarrocchi was additionally sentenced to fifteen years behind bars, however received his time lowered to 12 years in a 2004 attraction.

Meredith was acquitted of a conspiracy to rob however convicted of conspiracy to steal. He was sentenced to 5 years in jail.

The place are the thieves from The Diamond Heist now?

Adams died whereas serving his jail sentence, in line with The Solar. Although Betson’s jail sentence for the Millennium Dome heist was lowered, he is again in jail for a special theft.

BBC Information reported in August 2014 that he was sentenced to 13 years in jail for a botched try at robbing a money depot. The tried theft befell in March 2012, with authorities discovering his DNA on a balaclava left behind on the scene.

In 2018, The Solar reported that Betson’s son, Louis, was arrested for allegedly beating and robbing a cab driver in Kent, United Kingdom. He was sentenced to 2 years and three months at a juvenile detention middle.

In 2012, Cockram sued police for giving him a black eye and fracturing his cheekbone throughout his arrest, The Night Customary reported. Ciarrocchi has since made headlines for turning a skate park right into a trip house for his household, per The Instances of London.

The place is Lee Wenham now?

Wenham advised The Telegraph in 2025 that he was extra pressured earlier than his sentencing than he was as soon as when really went to jail.

“I considered it rather a lot then, and I considered what I’d be abandoning at house,” he defined, noting that he regretted lacking years of his younger daughters’ lives. “However as quickly as I used to be sentenced, it was a giant weight off my shoulders and it’s like, ‘Proper, simply get on with it.’ And I didn’t give it a lot thought after that, to be sincere.”

In The Diamond Heist, Wenham stated jail wasn’t really that dangerous.

“Individuals who haven’t been to jail worry jail, clearly. Everybody does, it is the last word punishment in British legislation. However I discovered it okay, I’ve received to be sincere,” he stated. “I tailored very properly, in a short time in jail, received on with lots of people. I am not boasting!”

At this time, Wenham is the writer of the autobiography A Diamond Geezer and a landscaper. Previous to the Netflix docuseries’ launch, he advised Rolling Stone U.Okay. that he was solely acknowledged as soon as for the heist since leaving jail.

Wenham has stayed out of authorized hassle since his launch, however he has returned to the scene of the crime at the very least as soon as.

“I went to see Bryan Adams at The O2 with my accomplice just a few years in the past,” he recalled. “And strolling as much as the principle doorways was, properly, I needed to take a step again, you understand. I discovered myself taking within the place over again.”