Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic confessed to participating in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the group to contest burglary but was found guilty by jurors

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewelry valued at £80,000 and an Audi from footballer Alexander Isak's home

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".

Julie Frost
Julie Frost

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and developing winning strategies for players worldwide.