Federal prosecutors have charged seven men from Southern California in connection with a daring Brinks truck robbery that authorities say is the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. The group is accused of stealing nearly $100 million in gold and jewelry from a truck parked at a rest stop in Lebec, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles, in 2022.
According to the indictment, the men tracked the armored truck after it left an international jewelry show in San Mateo, California. The truck was carrying 73 bags filled with high-value jewelry. The suspects allegedly followed the vehicle for more than 300 miles before making their move at the Lebec rest stop, where they stole 24 bags containing the bulk of the loot.
Following the heist, investigators say the suspects quickly deactivated the cellphones they used during the operation to avoid detection.
Those charged include Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig of Rialto, Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores of Upland, Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado of Pasadena, Jorge Enrique Alban of South Los Angeles, Eduardo Macias Ibarra of Westlake, Jazael Padilla Resto of Boyle Heights, and Victor Hugo Valencia Solarzano of Rampart Village. Padilla is currently serving time in Arizona for an unrelated burglary and is expected in court soon.
Several of the men face additional charges related to other high-value cargo thefts. These include the theft of over $240,000 in Samsung electronics from a shipment in Ontario, California, and the robbery of a box truck driver carrying more than $57,000 in Apple AirTags, during which a knife was reportedly used to threaten the driver. The group is also accused of attempting to steal from another truck in Fontana and later making off with more Samsung electronics worth over $14,000.
If convicted, the defendants could face lengthy prison sentences—up to 20 years for each robbery charge, with additional time for conspiracy and theft-related offenses. Some of the stolen jewelry has been recovered during arrests, but the full extent of the loss is still being assessed.