June 18 (UPI) -- Seven Californians have been indicted in a 2022 $100 million Brinks truck jewelry heist in Lebec, north of Los Angeles. They are charged for allegedly stealing gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and luxury watches.
The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said in a statement Tuesday the theft "is considered to be the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history."
Indicted were Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31, of Pasadena; Jazael Padilla Resto, a.k.a. "Ricardo Noel Moya," "Ricardo Barbosa," and "Alberto Javier Loza Chamorro," 36, of Boyle Heights and currently an inmate in Arizona state prison; and Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, a.k.a. "Walter Loza," 41, of Rialto.
Also, Victor Hugo Valencia Solorzano, 60, of the Rampart Village neighborhood of Los Angeles; Jorge Enrique Alban, 33, of South Los Angeles; Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, 42, of Upland; and Eduardo Macias Ibarra, 36, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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The indictments charge each defendant with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment.
According to federal prosecutors, "Mestanza, Lugo, and Alban scouted a Brinks semi tractor-trailer leaving an international jewelry show in San Mateo, Calif., with 73 bags containing millions of dollars of jewelry.
"From the evening of July 10 to the morning of July 11, Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia, Presilla, Macias, and other co-conspirators followed the Brinks truck approximately 300 miles from that jewelry show in San Mateo to rest stops in Buttonwillow and Lebec, north of Los Angeles."
The jewelry was being transported from an international jewelry show near San Francisco.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Butler said of the indictments Tuesday, "It was a long time coming, and there were times when the victims and members of the team wondered whether we'd see this success."
A portion of the stolen jewelry was recovered Tuesday along with what was described as large amounts of cash, but a significant amount of the stolen jewelry is still missing.
If convicted the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each robbery count. They could get up to five years for theft conspiracy and 10 years on each theft count.
