LOS ANGELES
Two Southern California men were arrested and are set to appear in federal court on charges related to the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. The suspects are accused of stealing approximately $100 million in gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches from a Brinks truck in July 2022. Some of the stolen items were recovered during searches on June 16.
A federal grand jury indictment filed June 11 charges seven men with conspiracy and theft from interstate and foreign shipments:
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Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31, of Pasadena
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Jazael Padilla Resto (a.k.a. multiple aliases), 36, of Boyle Heights (currently in Arizona prison)
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Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, 41, of Rialto
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Victor Hugo Valencia Solorzano, 60, of Los Angeles
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Jorge Enrique Alban, 33, of South Los Angeles
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Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, 42, of Upland
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Eduardo Macias Ibarra, 36, of Los Angeles
Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia, and Alban also face federal robbery (Hobbs Act) charges and additional theft counts.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The Heist:
On July 10, 2022, three suspects tracked a Brinks truck carrying 73 bags of jewelry from a San Mateo jewelry show. The group allegedly followed it for 300 miles to rest stops in Buttonwillow and Lebec, where they stole 24 bags while the truck was parked.
Following the theft, several suspects deactivated their cell phones.
Other Alleged Crimes:
The group is also accused of:
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Stealing $240,573 in Samsung electronics in March 2022 in Ontario
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Robbing a box truck driver of $57,377 in Apple AirTags, with one suspect threatening the driver with a knife
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Attempting a break-in and successfully stealing $14,081 in Samsung electronics in Fontana in May 2022
Penalties:
If convicted, the robbery charges carry up to 20 years in prison. Theft conspiracy carries up to 5 years, and each theft charge carries up to 10 years.
Agencies Involved:
FBI, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, Fontana PD, and Ontario PD.
Prosecutors: Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jena MacCabe and Kevin Butler.