The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

When questioned, Anne-Catherine claimed Breitwieser viewed her as just another “object.” Breitwieser vehemently denied this accusation, but a month after his short prison stay, he moves in with a new girlfriend. Stéphanie Mangin physically resembles Anne-Catherine and is also a nurse’s aide.

Breitwieser accepts a French publisher’s offer of $100,000 for a ghost-written memoir. He dedicates the book Confessions of an Art Thief to Stéphanie and reveals his plan for a new career as an art-security consultant. Breitwieser anticipates a prosperous future as he travels to Paris for discussions with his publisher. At the airport, he looks for a birthday present for Stéphanie in a designer clothing boutique. Selecting two items, he successfully steals them. Minutes after leaving the store, he returns to steal more clothing to wear on his book tour. However, Breitwieser fails to notice plain-clothes security guards. He is apprehended, taken to the police station, and held in custody overnight.

Breitwieser receives three weeks of community service for the theft. Profoundly disappointed to learn of the shoplifting episode, Breitwieser’s father and Christian Meichler cut him out of their lives. However, Mireille Stengel and Stéphanie forgive him.