The FBI finally caught up with America’s most brazen jewelry thieves.
These criminals pulled off the biggest heist in U.S. history.
And seven thieves got busted for one daring crime that made the FBI’s most wanted list.
The biggest jewelry heist in American history gets solved
Federal prosecutors just announced they’ve cracked the case that had law enforcement stumped for nearly three years.
Seven men from the Los Angeles area were charged with stealing $100 million worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, and luxury watches in what the Department of Justice called the largest jewelry heist in United States history.
The robbery happened in July 2022 when the criminals targeted a Brink’s armored truck carrying precious cargo from a gem and jewelry show south of San Francisco.
The truck was making a routine 300-mile journey to another jewelry showcase northeast of Los Angeles when disaster struck.
These weren’t your typical smash-and-grab thieves.
The criminals executed a Hollywood-style heist that would make Danny Ocean proud.
They ambushed the Brink’s truck at a rest stop and made off with 73 bags stuffed with one-of-a-kind pieces.
The stolen merchandise included diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and expensive timepieces that collectors had spent years acquiring.
Seven defendants face decades behind bars
The alleged ring of thieves thought they had pulled off the perfect crime.
But the FBI never gave up the hunt.
FBI agents recovered some of the stolen loot while executing a search warrant on Monday, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
The alleged thieves are all from the Los Angeles area and each could receive up to 20 years in federal prison if found guilty.
The list of accused criminals reads like a who’s who of the criminal underworld.
Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31, of Pasadena leads the pack of alleged thieves.
Jazael Padilla Resto, 36, of Boyle Heights is already doing time in an Arizona state prison for a separate breaking and entering charge.
Resto apparently liked using fake names, going by "Ricardo Noel Moya," "Ricardo Barbosa," and "Alberto Javier Loza Chamorro" according to prosecutors.
Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, 41, of Rialto also used the alias "Walter Loza."
Victor Hugo Valencia Solorzano, 60, of the Rampart Village neighborhood of Los Angeles rounds out the older generation of thieves.
Jorge Enrique Alban, 33, of South Los Angeles and Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, 42, of Upland complete the crew.
Eduardo Macias Ibarra, 36, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles was the final member of the alleged crime ring.
These criminals didn’t stop at jewelry
The Brink’s truck heist wasn’t a one-time job for these alleged criminals.
Several of the defendants are accused of pulling off additional truck heists across California.
Federal prosecutors said the crime ring intercepted shipments of Samsung electronics in separate robberies.
They even targeted a truck full of Apple AirTags, which is ironic considering those devices are designed to help people track stolen items.
The thieves apparently had a taste for high-value cargo and weren’t picky about what they stole as long as it was worth big money.
All seven defendants face various conspiracy and theft charges for their alleged crimes.
Five of them also face charges of interference with commerce by robbery, which carries serious federal penalties.
The FBI never gives up the hunt
This case proves that the FBI doesn’t forget about unsolved crimes just because time passes.
The federal agents worked this case for nearly three years before finally getting their break.
The $100 million jewelry heist was so brazen that it captured national attention when it happened.
Jewelry collectors and dealers were shocked that criminals could pull off such a massive theft from a heavily secured armored truck.
The fact that it took place at a rest stop made it even more audacious.
These weren’t criminals who broke into a jewelry store in the middle of the night.
They targeted a moving armored truck in broad daylight and somehow managed to steal 73 bags of precious cargo.
The recovery of some stolen items during Monday’s search warrant execution shows the FBI’s patience paid off.
Federal prosecutors didn’t reveal how much of the $100 million in stolen goods was recovered.
But any recovery is a victory for the jewelry dealers and collectors who lost their precious items in the heist.
The defendants could face decades in federal prison if convicted on all charges.
That’s a heavy price to pay for what they thought would be the score of a lifetime.
The case serves as a reminder that federal law enforcement agencies have long memories and the resources to pursue complex criminal investigations.
