Tony Musulin, a 39-year-old armored car driver, disappeared on November 5. He literally disappeared: when his colleagues returned from a branch of the French national bank, Musulin was gone, together with his vehicle.

What caused the disappearance? A kidnapping? Banditry?

No, Musulin had taken the money –11.6 million euros, in cash, in small denominations– and run. The armored car was soon recovered nearby, but Musulin was nowhere to be found.

The authorities started looking. A few days later, they found about 9 million euros in a self-storage locker that Musulin had rented. But Musulin remained missing, along with 2.6 million euros.

On November 16, a man parked a motorcycle in front of the Monaco police headquarters. He presented himself –Tony Musulin– and said he was wanted by the French police and wanted to turn himself in. The Monaco authorities would have been happy to oblige, but in an Inspector Clouseau moment it turned out that the French authorities had only asked foreign countries for information about Musulin, not his actual apprehension outside France. Later that day, Musulin went to the Jardin Exotique and crossed over into France, where he could be arrested.

Musulin is keeping to himself and has not been particularly talkative. He is keeping mum about the 2.6 million euros that have not been accounted for. He has been charged with theft, which under the French penal code carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and 45,000 euros.

Here’s the first remarkable aspect of Musulin’s exploit: he does not face lengthy punishment. French law does not punish theft more harshly when stolen property is valuable. And in Musulin’s case, there are mitigating factors: this is his first offense, and he voluntarily turned himself in. He could conceivably be sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, and with time off for good behavior be released after 9 months.

Authorities are also investigating Musulin for possible insurance fraud in connection with the disappearance of his car –a Ferrari– last May. But even if he were convicted of that offense, which carries a 5-year prison term, he would serve out that sentence concurrently with a theft conviction.

Of course, even a day’s incarceration is punishment. Deprivation of liberty is serious. But this case makes clear that French law reserves serious punishment for violence or threat of violence. French law punishes robbery –where violence is used– more harshly than theft, where it is not. Musulin hurt or threatened no one. He used no weapon. He didn’t even damage the armored car.

The second remarkable aspect of the Musulin affair is its uncanny resemblance to a 2004 French movie, Le Convoyeur. In a case of life imitating art, the movie depicts theft by an armored car driver. Its tag line: “1,000 euros a month, 1,000,000 euros in each bag”.

This disparity, I think, accounts for much of the public fascination with the Musulin case. Armored car personnel are not well paid in France, despite the risks they take daily. Viewed from a certain angle, theft can look like a kind of class struggle or revolutionary uprising.