The paparazzi agency X17 is notorious for a few things. Among them: hiring ex-gang members as photogs, owners Brandy and Francois Navarre getting rich off an under-compensated staff, and going after celebrity bloggers who they accuse of "stealing" their images. Funny, 'cause now X17 is the one being accused of stealing photos.

That's the claim being made by CelebrityBabylon.com, the online home of Jill Ishkanian's Sunset Photo & News agency, which says X17's recent score of knifeplay photos between Lindsay Lohan and Vanessa Minnillo weren't stolen from Lindsay's apartment as they'll have you believe, but snatched from her car while she was at lunch. By X17.

Relays CB:

“Those photos were stolen by a paparazzi when Lindsay went to The Ivy for lunch,” says our snitch, who worked, until very recently, for the agency distributing and profiting from the stolen photos, X17. The insider tells Celebrity Babylon EXCLUSIVELY, “[The photog] waited until the valet parked her car [the infamous Mercedes convertible] and then reached inside, took her camera that was just laying on the seat, downloaded the photos on to his laptop hard drive, and put the camera back. By the time the valet brought Lindsay’s car around, everything was just the way it was when she got out, and she had no clue what had happened.” With all of the controversy going around Lindsay’s trip back to rehab, her friends and family selling her out, it was the perfect time to release the shocking and old photos into the marketplace. “She has so many troubles, what’s she going to do, sue? It’s like kicking someone when they’re down — way down.”

The paps are nothing if not crafty.