Hulu’s latest documentary, The Jewel Thief, gives viewers a glimpse into the life of criminal mastermind Gerald Blanchard. He rose to notoriety back in 2007 after he made headlines across the globe for returning the Sisi Star, an Austrian crown jewel that he had stolen nine years prior. However, that wasn’t his only amazing feat as the documentary reveals all about his other heists and robberies.
What was his childhood like?
Born in 1972 in Winnipeg, Canada, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, Gerald Blanchard was a pretty ordinary kid. In the documentary, he describes himself as ‘very quiet’ as a child although his mother, teachers, and childhood friends would say that he had an obsession with being the center of attention.
As he grew older, he started with minor offenses such as shoplifting. However, he quickly grew bored of that and so hatched more elaborate schemes. He also began documenting his crimes to feed his desire to be the center of attention. At the age of 15, he was arrested and charged with grand theft but this didn’t deter him in the slightest as he continued with his criminal vocation after his release. By 16, he had bought a house and had $100,000 hidden away in garbage bags.
A criminal mastermind
Needless to say, Blanchard was a pretty successful thief, like a real-life version of The Professor from Money Heist. In what was a pretty short amount of time he’d accumulated a considerable amount of cash. But speaking in the documentary he admits that he just couldn’t stop there.
“I could have stopped a long time ago but you always need that thrill. It’s actually an addiction”
As time went on, his crimes got bigger and more complicated. It all culminated with his most well-known heist, his theft of the Sisi Star. Over the course of his entire criminal career, he stole millions of dollars and took pleasure in taunting those trying to catch him. He was finally the true center of attention, but little did he know it would all come crashing down very soon.
The arrest
A bank robbery in 2004 was what led to Blanchard’s arrest as he was witnessed getting into a car that was rented out under his name. A small mistake, but it marked the beginning of the end. Blanchard was arrested in 2007 and had to give back the Sisi Star and pay restitution to the Canadian Bank.
He was facing 164 years for his crimes, but with full cooperation and repayment of the stolen money and goods, it was reduced to eight years. Blanchard was ultimately released even earlier than that, with his release coming after five years, in 2012.
Blanchard would go on to make a name for himself recounting his stories through books, videos, and documentaries. He also didn’t put crime behind him as he was caught in 2017 stealing PlayStations from a Best Buy. I don’t think that’s quite as impressive as the crown jewels of Austria, but a free PS4 is a free PS4.