Fashion model Abdallah Diaby arrested over $1m SoHo designer heist

A professional fashion model has been arrested and charged in connection with a cinematic, million-dollar heist at a celebrity-frequented boutique in Manhattan.

Abdallah Diaby, 21, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with grand larceny, burglary, and criminal possession of stolen property following a brazen raid on SoHo’s 4Gseller late last year.

The robbery, which occurred on 1 December 2025, played out like a Hollywood thriller. Clad in construction vests and headlamps, a group of four men allegedly used a ladder to scale the fire escape before smashing a second-storey window with a brick.

Once inside the appointment-only showroom—which counts stars like Drake and Travis Kelce as clients—they worked with tactical precision.

"They were just dropping them off the balcony, and someone was running it to the car," the shop’s owner, Tommy Macari, told The New York Post.

In just four and a half minutes, the crew made off with over $1 million worth of "one-of-one" merchandise, including 20 St Laurent jackets and a pair of jeans previously owned by rock legend Lenny Kravitz.

Diaby, who was represented by the agency TWO MGMT, was linked to the crime through security footage. During his arraignment, his lawyer argued the model had voluntarily returned from a job in California to surrender, noting, "If he wanted to flee, he had a 300,000-mile head start."

Diaby pleaded not guilty and was released on supervised release without bail, despite the high value of the stolen goods. While the model awaits his next court date on 18 March, his three alleged accomplices remain at large.