In broad daylight on October 19, 2025, thieves dressed as construction workers targeted the Louvre and vanished with $100 million in royal jewels in about eight minutes.

In this episode of "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum is joined by former jewel thief Bryan Sobolewski to lay out exactly how a heist like this gets pulled off, what mistakes crews make when the clock is ticking, and why modern forensics can turn a “perfect” job into an evidence trail.

Sobolewski then shares his own history, the losses, and long-term consequences, and why he now speaks publicly to warn others away from choosing a life of crime.

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Guest Bio:

Bryan Sobolewski is a former jewel thief who speaks publicly about robbery methods, prevention, and the real-world consequences of criminal conviction. He has appeared on Fox's reality series "The Snake," and on "America's Most Wanted."

Sobolewski is also a comedian and personal trainer, and previously hosted the "Family Jewels" podcast and authored the book "Family Jewels."

About the Host

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for the Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide.

With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur.

Her work on the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching led to her Emmy Award for "CSI: Atlanta" and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• X: @149zone7

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, "Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist," releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum recounts the Louvre entry point, the freight truck with extended ladder, missing jewels, and why “construction work” is the perfect disguise in a crowded tourist environment

• (2:45) Sheryl brings in former jewel thief Bryan Sobolewski to talk about the heist

• (4:45) The ladder truck problem: sourcing it, driving it, and the traceability thieves cannot erase

• (7:15) The moped getaway and why Paris geography favors two wheels

• (8:15) Uninsured jewels and what security should have anticipated

• (10:00) How fast cases move when the thieves leave obvious evidence behind

• (12:15) Flight attempts, the hired-crew theory, and how the organizer can remain invisible

• (16:15) DNA, fingerprints, and trace evidence

• (19:15) The gear left behind and why serial numbers and rentals make a heist crew traceable

• (24:00) Bryan’s New England backdrop, mob proximity, and “street rules”

• (27:45) Bryan recounts his father and brother dying on the same night and the questions he is left to live with

• (30:15) Why display cases are harder to break than people think, and how reinforced glass slows thieves down

• (40:30) Bryan reflects on the long-term cost of crime, what accountability looks like after prison,

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