7 Californians charged in ‘largest jewelry heist in US history,' DOJ says
(KTLA) – Seven people have been identified as the thieves who targeted a Brinks truck in Southern California three years ago, pulling off what officials say is 'the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history.'
The July 2022 heist resulted in the theft of 'approximately $100 million worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches,' the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
The jewelry was being transported from a jewelry show in San Mateo, California, to another in Pasadena, according to the DOJ. The theft occurred when the truck had stopped at a rest stop in Lebec, in Kern County, just north of Los Angeles County.
Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered by authorities earlier this month, the DOJ said.
Seven people have been charged with with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment, the DOJ said:
Of those seven, five people — Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia and Alban — also face charges of inference with commerce by robbery and two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, as well as 'additional counts of theft from interstate and foreign shipment.'
In addition to the 2022 theft at the Lebec rest stop, 'Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, and Valencia are also alleged to have stolen $240,573 worth of Samsung electronics from an interstate cargo shipment in Ontario on March 2, 2022,' prosecutors said.
'Those same defendants, and Alban, allegedly then robbed a box truck driver of $57,377 worth of Apple AirTags,' the DOJ said. 'One of the robbers brandished a knife and threatened the driver.'
Federal officials also alleged the crew tried similar break-ins on trucks in Fontana.
If convicted the suspects face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each theft charge, five for each conspiracy charge and 20 for each robbery charge.
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