A male fashion model made a stylish exit from court in pricey designer sneakers Tuesday, following a hearing tied to an alleged movie-style robbery in which prosecutors say he and three others took more than $1 million worth of luxury goods from a high-end Manhattan boutique.
Abdallah Diaby, 21, was arrested in February on grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property charges stemming from a December 2025 break-in at 4Gseller, an upscale luxury retailer in SoHo.
Diaby appeared before Judge Althea Drysdale on Tuesday morning at New York Supreme Criminal Court wearing a crisp white button-down shirt, black trousers and high-top sneakers that appeared to be Louis Vuitton LV Trainers. Similar pairs have been listed for around $3,645 on some resale sites.
The brief court appearance centered on alleged video evidence in the case. Diaby addressed the judge calmly, saying, “Good morning,” in an even voice.
After the hearing, when the Daily Mail asked how he was feeling, Diaby responded with a bashful smile and a laugh before lifting a piece of paper to cover his face.
The fashion model is out on supervised release after his February arrest. Judge Drysdale said on Tuesday that he has received a ‘stellar’ report since his release.
‘Let me be crystal clear – you cannot and must not be arrested,’ Drysdale sternly instructed Diaby.
Diaby quickly conferred with his lawyer, defense attorney Daniel Ollen, before casually leaving the courthouse.
Abdallah Diaby, 21, appeared in court on Tuesday morning in Manhattan for a hearing in his grand larceny case
Diaby is a fashion model facing charges in connection with a burglary of an upscale boutique. He was seen in court wearing Louis Vuitton LV Trainers, which are worth over $3,000 on some resale websites
Diaby is accused of stealing $1 million worth of merchandise from a luxury retailer in downtown Manhattan with three accomplices
Judge Drysdale has set a November 10 deadline for a decision. Prosecutors have offered one to three years in prison, but Diaby’s attorneys have not yet responded. The model has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have charged two other individuals in connection with the heist. Authorities arrested Ebrima Bayo, 20, on May 19, and Treasure Gyamfi, 18, on April 16, according to the New York Police Department.
They also face charges of grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property. Bayo last appeared in court in June and is set to appear again on September 20.
The burglary unfolded just after 4.10am in December, when a silver Ford SUV was spotted outside the luxury store, according to a criminal complaint the New York Post previously obtained.
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The suspects allegedly arrived disguised as construction workers. Three men in dark clothing and construction vests exited the vehicle carrying a ladder, then climbed scaffolding around the building and broke into the boutique. A fourth accomplice remained outside, investigators said.
Surveillance cameras captured the burglary. Tommy Macari, the owner of 4Gseller told the New York Post that the suspects appeared to have carefully planned the operation, describing it as ‘kind of like the movies.’
‘They were in and out of the store in four and a half minutes,’ he added.
Macari told the outlet the thieves targeted rare, high-end items, including merchandise from Saint Laurent and Chrome Hearts.
Diaby strutted out of court on Tuesday morning in a white button up, black slacks and high-top sneakers
Diaby was surrounded by officers as he listened to Judge Drysdale warn him to avoid arrest while out on supervised release
Diaby received a ‘stellar’ report from his supervised release. He has remained active on social media since his arrest
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.
Diaby had been represented by New York modeling agency TWO MGMT and has over 90,000 followers on Instagram. It’s unclear if the company still represents him.
Since his arrest, Diaby has remained active on social media. He posted photos of himself singing and playing the guitar just five days before his recent court appearance.
He also shared modeling photos with Telfar in August and frequently posts videos and photos of himself out and about in New York City.
Just one day before his court appearance in June, Diaby shared a pair of yellow Balmain pants, which he then appeared to wear in court.
Diaby’s attorney told the Daily Mail in court that they would not be providing comment. The Daily Mail has reached out to TWO MGMT for comment.