FYI: A group of thieves executed one of the largest jewel heists in U.S. history, resulting in charges after a daring $100 million armored truck theft.
Crew of Alleged Jewel Thieves Indicted Over $100 Million Heist
In a crime reminiscent of Hollywood’s most daring heists, a group of thieves managed to pull off a spectacular $100 million jewelry robbery in California. The heist unfolded in July 2022 when the crew seized an opportunity at a rest area, eluding witnesses to make away with an unimaginable bounty.
Investigators revealed that these seven individuals orchestrated the largest recorded jewel theft in U.S. history, identifying them via cell phone data and surveillance footage. The semi-truck, loaded for a prestigious gem and jewelry exhibition in San Mateo, California, was the target. The crew waited until the truck, en route from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles, was left unattended at a gas station on Interstate 5 in Lebec. As some members distracted employees, others infiltrated the truck, taking off with 24 bags brimming with diamonds, emeralds, gold, rubies, and Rolex watches.
A Series of Elaborate Heists
This was not the first or only operation executed by the crew. Following their audacious jewelry robbery, the perpetrators quickly disabled their cell phones and abandoned their loot to remain inconspicuous — a tactic straight from crime cinema. According to USA Today, this heist was the culmination of a spree that included several other thefts. Notably, in March 2022, they siphoned off $240,000 worth of Samsung electronics from a truck in Ontario, and a mere nine days later, stole $57,000 worth of Apple Airtags from a delivery headed to Fontana. During the latter, the driver returned early and faced a knife-wielding thief.
Federal prosecutors have charged all seven men with conspiracy to commit theft and theft from interstate and foreign shipments. U.S. Attorney Jena McCabe praised the investigators’ persistence in untangling the web of crime via interviews, surveillance video reviews, and phone record analysis.
Stolen Assets Still Missing
Despite the breakthrough in arrests, investigators have managed to recover less than half of the stolen jewels. Tracking and recovering stolen goods continue to pose significant challenges, as exemplified by a recent case involving a $15 million gold and foreign currency heist from Air Canada in 2023. Like those items, most stolen precious metals and jewels are believed to be melted down or otherwise transformed, making retrieval efforts complex.
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Donald Smith
Editor, Automotive.fyi
