"America" Golden Toilet Missing in Britain... Investigations Ongoing

Prosecutors announced today, Monday, that four men have been charged in connection with the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from a palace in southern England, which was part of an art exhibition before its theft in 2019. The functioning toilet is valued at £4.8 million ($5.9 million) and was part of an exhibition by an Italian artist at Blenheim Palace, a major tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage site. The British Crown Prosecution Service stated that James Sheen, 39, faces a charge of burglary and two charges related to the transfer of property. Charges have also been laid against three others—Michael Jones, Fred Do, and Bora Gokok, who are all in their thirties. Police had said at the time of the robbery that thieves had broken into the palace using two cars and seized the toilet sometime before 5 AM in 2019. It remains unclear whether the toilet, named "America," has been recovered, and authorities have not yet provided comment on its status. Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of British leader Winston Churchill. The palace expressed its sadness in 2019 over the loss of the toilet, which had previously been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The four men are scheduled to appear in court on November 28.