The Brinks truck left the San Mateo jewelry show without incident. Heading south, it was piled high with 73 bags of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, gold, and high-end watches. But when its driver pulled over at a rest stop north of Los Angeles in the early hours of July 11, 2022, robbers struck, stealing 24 of the bags, with an estimated value of $100 million. A press release from the U.S. attorney’s office dubbed it “the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history.”
Three years later, federal prosecutors have charged seven men for the robbery. Two — Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig and Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores — are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
The seven defendants face charges that include conspiracy to commit theft from interstate shipment and interference with commerce by robbery, according to an indictment returned Wednesday. Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered Monday.
The men charged range in age from 31 to 60. All are from Southern California.
The members of the SoCal crew did not brandish weapons during the heist, nor did they make contact with the truck driver, according to court filings.
The robbery in Lebec — just north of the L.A. County line — wasn’t their first job, the indictment alleges. The group committed other thefts in 2022, including stealing nearly $250,000 worth of Samsung electronics from a cargo shipment in the San Bernardino County city of Ontario. They also allegedly robbed a box truck driver of Apple AirTags worth nearly $60,000 while brandishing a knife.
In May 2022, the defendants allegedly attempted to steal a truck at a Fontana rest stop by breaking in with a crowbar. They also stole about $14,000 worth of Samsung electronics from another shipment, according to prosecutors.
One defendant is serving time in Arizona for third-degree burglary and is expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks.
If convicted, five defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for robbery charges. All defendants face up to five years for theft conspiracy and up to 10 years for each theft charge.