Top male model pulls blue steel pose in court as he's charged with stealing $1m of clothing from upscale Soho boutique

Published: 22:05, 2 June 2026 | Updated: 22:11, 2 June 2026 A top male fashion model appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday after being charged in connection with the theft of more than $1 million worth of designer merchandise from an upscale SoHo boutique. Abdallah Diaby, 21, of the Bronx, was arraigned on charges of grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property over a December break-in at 4Gseller, a luxury retailer on Spring Street. Prosecutors allege Diaby was one of four men involved in the early-morning burglary, during which thieves made off with more than $1 million worth of designer goods, including Saint Laurent jackets, handbags and belts. Diaby pleaded not guilty, according to court records. The aspiring model was previously represented by New York modeling agency TWO MGMT and was photographed outside court following the hearing. One day before his court appearance, Diaby appeared to show off a new designer purchase on social media. In an Instagram Story, he posted a photo of what appeared to be a pair of yellow Balmain pants alongside a shopping bag from luxury resale retailer 2nd Street. 'Went balmain at 2nd street got lucky today and found 2,' he wrote.  Fashion model Abdallah Diaby leaves Manhattan Criminal Court after pleading not guilty to charges stemming from the alleged theft of more than $1 million worth of designer merchandise from a SoHo boutique  Prosecutors allege Diaby was one of four men who stole luxury goods including Saint Laurent jackets, handbags and belts during a four-minute burglary at 4Gseller on Spring Street  Diaby appeared to wear the same pants to court as he faced charges connected to the alleged theft of more than $1 million in designer merchandise. According to a criminal complaint obtained by the NY Post, the burglary began at around 4.10am on December 1 when a silver Ford SUV pulled up outside the store. The suspects allegedly arrived disguised as construction workers. Three men wearing dark clothing and construction vests exited the vehicle carrying a ladder before climbing scaffolding surrounding the building and breaking into the boutique.  A fourth accomplice remained outside, investigators said. The entire burglary was captured on surveillance cameras. Following the burglary, 4Gseller owner Tommy Macari told the New York Post that the suspects appeared to have carefully planned the operation. 'Kind of like the movies, to be honest,' Macari said. Macari said the group wore headlamps and construction gear and worked quickly to remove merchandise from the store. 'They were in and out of the store in four and a half minutes,' he said. An Instagram Story posted by Diaby the day before his court appearance appeared to show a recent purchase of yellow Balmain pants from luxury resale retailer 2nd Street Diaby appeared to wear the same yellow pants to court Tuesday as he faced charges connected to the alleged theft of more than $1 million worth of designer goods Macari told the outlet that the thieves targeted rare and high-end items, including merchandise from Saint Laurent and Chrome Hearts. 'They took a lot of one-of-one, high-end merchandise,' Macari said. The suspects allegedly dropped items from an upper level of the store to accomplices below, who loaded the merchandise into a waiting vehicle. Macari told the Post that police arrived about 91 seconds after the suspects left, but the group had already fled. The boutique operates largely through private showroom appointments rather than walk-in traffic. 'We're very tight here. It's not an open door. You have to be buzzed up. They knew what they were looking for,' Macari told CBS New York following the burglary. Neighbors who live above the boutique said they were awakened by noises during the break-in. 'We were awakened by a crashing sound,' resident Guy Story told NBC New York. 'We didn't know what it was. And then some other noises, which were also unfamiliar.' Diaby was released under supervision following his arraignment after being charged with grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property A silver feather pendant hung from Diaby's neck as he appeared before a Manhattan judge in the luxury boutique burglary case Another resident, Linda Bradley Jones, suggested the thieves may have specifically targeted the boutique. 'The speculation was that whoever did it knew what these people had in their store, right?' Jones told NBC New York. 'Because it was not an advertised store.' Investigators later linked Diaby to the burglary through surveillance footage, prosecutors said. The three remaining suspects have not been arrested. Despite the value of the alleged theft, Diaby was released under supervision following his arraignment. Under New York law, many nonviolent offenses are not eligible for cash bail. Defense attorney Ollen argued against supervised release, telling the court that Diaby voluntarily returned to New York after working in California. 'If he wanted to flee, he had a 300,000 mile head start,' Ollen said. Diaby is scheduled to return to court on March 18. Representatives for TWO MGMT did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. The investigation remains ongoing. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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