The indictment, returned this week, charged the seven California men with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft, among other theft and robbery charges. Each defendant faces five years in federal prison for theft conspiracy and 10 years for each theft charge. According to authorities, the men charged include Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31, of Pasadena; Jazael Padilla Resto, 36, of Boyle Heights and currently an inmate in Arizona state prison; Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, 41, of Rialto; 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.
Messages left for Cercado, Lugo Larroig, and Alban were unreturned and attempts to reach Padilla Resto, Valencia Solorzano, Flores, and Ibarra were unsuccessful.
Authorities alleged in the indictment that this wasn’t the crew’s first rodeo. The court documents show the alleged thieves are accused of striking trucks and drivers for months before the massive jewelry heist allegedly took place.
However, authorities say the driver caught the group trying to steal the AirTags and a confrontation ensued. One allegedly yelled at the driver, “Don’t move or I will f—k you up!” while holding a small knife, authorities alleged. The four eventually made off with the stolen Apple gear, valued at $57,377, authorities claim.
On May 2, 2022, the group was allegedly at it again and drove to a truck stop in Fontana to target a semi truck. At the rest stop, one of the defendants allegedly used a crowbar to break into a truck. The group later stole Samsung electronics valued at $14,081, authorities alleged.
Following the May haul, the group allegedly spent three separate days scouting the jewelry show before following the Brinks truck on the evening of July 10.
Authorities said search warrants carried out last week recovered some of the $100 million in jewelry stolen in the heist.
In a statement, a Brinks spokesperson told Fortune the company appreciated law enforcement’s work in resolving the theft. “Like everyone, we want to see those responsible brought to justice and the stolen goods returned,” the spokesperson said.
Representatives from Apple and Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
