The Millennium Dome Raid: Where Are The Diamond Heist Thieves Now?
In November 2000, a group of thieves, often referred to as the “Diamond Geezers,” attempted to steal the De Beers Millennium Star diamond, a 203-carat gemstone valued at an estimated £350 million, from the Millennium Dome in London. The heist, which was foiled by the British police, has been immortalized in a Netflix docuseries, The Diamond Heist, executive produced by Guy Ritchie. According to People.com, the docuseries follows the story of Lee Wenham, one of the masterminds behind the attempted theft.
The group, led by Ray Betson, who recruited most of the other players, included Lee Wenham, Robert “Bob the Builder” Adams, William “Bill” Cockram, Aldo Ciarrocchi, Terence “Terry” Millman, and Kevin Meredith. Each member played a crucial role in the planned heist. Betson, considered the mastermind, drove the JCB excavator vehicle through the building’s perimeter. Wenham, who was pulled out of school at the age of 12 due to dyslexia, worked with his father, a local gangster, and helped plan the heist. As People.com reports, Adams assisted by breaking through the protective glass housing the diamonds with a sledgehammer, while Cockram used a nail gun to weaken the glass.
Ciarrocchi, the youngest member of the group at 29, was responsible for throwing smoke bombs as a distraction outside the vault. Millman, the getaway driver, had a history of armed robbery and a previous 14-year prison sentence. Meredith, who had no prior convictions, was asked to drive the thieves away via boat on the Thames River for £10,000. The group’s plan was to use a JCB excavator to penetrate the steel gates and barriers around the Millennium Dome. Wenham revealed in The Diamond Heist that he stole the vehicle and put it into a safehouse ahead of the heist.
However, the group’s plans were compromised when someone tipped off the police to the plot in the summer of 2000. This gave authorities and Millennium Dome staff ample time to prepare for the attempted robbery. In fact, the police had named their plan “Operation Magician.” On the day of the raid, 200 armed officers were present at the Millennium Dome, many of them disguised as venue staff. The police deliberately allowed the thieves to enter the vault, where they arrested Adams, Betson, Ciarrocchi, and Wenham. They also apprehended Millman from a nearby van.
The remaining “Diamond Geezers” stood trial in November 2001. Betson and Cockram were each sentenced to 18 years in prison for conspiracy to rob, with their sentences later being reduced to 15 years. Adams was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to rob, while Ciarrocchi received a 15-year sentence that was later reduced to 12 years on appeal. Meredith was acquitted of conspiracy to rob but convicted of conspiracy to steal and sentenced to five years in prison.
So, where are the thieves from The Diamond Heist now? Adams died while serving his prison sentence. Betson, whose jail sentence for the Millennium Dome heist was reduced, is back in prison for a different robbery. In 2014, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for a botched attempt at robbing a cash depot. Cockram sued police for giving him a black eye and fracturing his cheekbone during his arrest. Ciarrocchi has made headlines for turning a skate park into a vacation home for his family.
Lee Wenham, one of the masterminds behind the heist, has written an autobiography titled A Diamond Geezer and works as a landscaper. In an interview with The Telegraph, Wenham revealed that he was more stressed before his sentencing than he was once he went to prison. “I thought about it a lot then, and I thought about what I would be leaving behind at home,” he explained. “But as soon as I was sentenced, it was a big weight off my shoulders and it’s like, ‘Right, just get on with it.'” Wenham has stayed out of legal trouble since his release and has even returned to the scene of the crime.
As People.com reports, Wenham told Rolling Stone U.K. that he was only recognized once for the heist since leaving prison. Today, Wenham seems to have put his past behind him, but the memory of the heist remains a significant part of his life. The Netflix docuseries The Diamond Heist offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the thieves and the events surrounding the attempted theft. According to People.com, the docuseries provides a detailed account of the heist and its aftermath, offering a unique perspective on the lives of the thieves involved.
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