How a crew of seven pulled off the biggest jewelry heist in U.S. history, stealing gold, gems and watches worth $100 mn
Federal authorities have charged seven men in what is being called the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history—a daring $100 million theft of diamonds, gold, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches from a Brinks armored truck.
The brazen heist took place in July 2022 after the suspects followed the truck for nearly 300 miles from an international jewelry show near San Francisco to a rest stop north of Los Angeles. There, the crew allegedly stole 24 out of 73 bags containing high-value items. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced the charges on Tuesday.
Two of the suspects, Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig and Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, were arrested Monday and indicted on federal theft and conspiracy charges. Four others remain at large, while a seventh—Jazael Padilla Resto—is currently serving time in Arizona for an unrelated burglary and is expected in federal court soon.
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According to the indictment, Padilla first scouted the jewelry show in San Mateo on July 8, 2022. Days later, he and the others tracked the Brinks truck through multiple rest stops before executing the theft on July 11. The exact method used to access the truck remains unclear.
After the robbery, the group allegedly transported the stolen goods to East Hollywood and began covering their tracks—many of them disabling the phones used during the operation. Some of the stolen jewelry has since been recovered in recent search warrants, although authorities have not disclosed how much.
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The suspects, all from the Los Angeles area, face multiple charges, including theft from interstate and foreign shipments, conspiracy, and interference with commerce by robbery.
The defendants were identified as:
Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31
Jazael Padilla Resto, 36
Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, 41
Victor Hugo Valencia Solorzano, 60
Jorge Enrique Alban, 33
Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, 42
Eduardo Macias Ibarra, 36
In addition to the jewelry heist, several defendants are accused of other major thefts, including stealing over $240,000 in Samsung electronics and nearly $60,000 in Apple AirTags earlier in 2022.
Authorities continue to investigate and search for the missing suspects and the unrecovered stolen goods.
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