According to a report from The Guardian UK, four individuals are facing criminal charges in connection with the theft of a £4.8 million gold toilet that disappeared from Blenheim Palace during an overnight heist in September 2019.

The stolen artwork, named “America,” was part of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

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The Crown Prosecution Service announced on Monday that it has authorized criminal charges against these four men, who are scheduled to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court on November 28.

The gold toilet, which featured a three-minute time limit for use to prevent long queues, had been on display for just two days before it was stolen.

Its installation caused flooding and damage to the historic 18th-century palace and UNESCO World Heritage site in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, which is also the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

Before its theft, the toilet had previously been showcased at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, where it attracted a significant amount of attention.

It was later moved to Blenheim Palace for Cattelan’s first solo exhibition in the UK in over 20 years.

At the time of the theft, Cattelan expressed his hope that it was a prank and remarked on the nature of the artwork, saying, “Who’s so stupid to steal a toilet? [The work titled] America was the 1% for the 99%.”

Blenheim Palace, the ancestral residence of the Duke of Marlborough, had initially downplayed the possibility of theft due to the toilet being plumbed in and the difficulty of knowing the last user’s identity or diet.

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Dominic Hare, the chief executive of Blenheim Palace, had a unique perspective, hoping that the audacious theft would immortalize the artwork. He also noted the irony of the “American dream” and elite object, made available to all, being abruptly concealed from view.

The four individuals facing charges include James Sheen, 39, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, accused of burglary, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, and transferring criminal property.

Michael Jones, 38, from Oxford, has been charged with burglary, while Fred Doe, 35, from Ascot, Berkshire, and Bora Guccuk, 39, from West London, face charges of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.