Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted their involvement in the crimes

Members of an Italian family of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the foursome to contest burglary but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewellery worth eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from footballer Isak's property

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum due".

Robert Mason
Robert Mason

A Las Vegas native with over a decade of experience covering the city's vibrant entertainment scene and nightlife.