Three months after what was arguably one of many nation’s most high-value jewellery heists in current reminiscence, regulation enforcement companies have filed no costs within the case, which additionally served to focus on a historical past of pricey jewellery heist schemes.

A pair of Brink’s safety guards hauling a tractor-trailer of jewels value hundreds of thousands had been robbed in California whereas one of many employees was sleeping contained in the automobile and the opposite had left to purchase meals, in line with lawsuits associated to the heist. 

The Brink’s truck was stopped close to a relaxation cease in Lebec, California, on July 11 and was transporting the dear gems from San Francisco to the Pasadena Conference Middle, when the thieves snapped a lock and broke in. Courtroom papers describe how one of many safety guards was snoozing contained in the truck, whereas the opposite had stepped out for meals. The truck was loaded with 73 baggage – 22 of which had been stolen, officers mentioned.

A lawsuit obtained by The Related Press describes how the criminals bought away with the 22 baggage of knickknack that the victims say was collectively value over $100 million, which might make it the most costly jewel heist in current historical past. 

SUSPECT ARRESTED IN 1978 JFK LUFTHANSA HEIST, ALONG WITH 4 OTHER ALLEGED MOBSTERS

The Flying J Journey Middle, simply west of Interstate 5 in Lebec, California, was the location of a Brink’s truck jewellery heist in July.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Instances through Getty Pictures)

The 14 “mother and pop” companies that had jewellery stolen accused Brink’s of negligence and breach of contract, and argued that the corporate’s safety guards “virtually invited” the heist to happen, in line with the report.

“Everybody in our group has been emotionally and financially destroyed,” the plaintiffs mentioned in a press release to the AP on the time of the late-August lawsuit. “We’re misplaced and have no idea what comes subsequent in our lives. No matter plans all of us have for the long run for our companies and our households has evaporated instantly.” 

However Brink’s argued that the jewelers “considerably under-declared the worth of their shipments on the Pickup Manifest,” for which they recognized the jewellery as being collectively value $8.7 million – a far cry from the nine-figure sum that the victims claimed, in line with the safety firm’s personal lawsuit filed in August within the Southern District of New York.  

Of their lawsuit, Brinks’ attorneys famous that the drivers had been performing in accordance with Division of Transportation pointers over the course of the evening, together with after they went to sleep or left to get meals. 

DRESDEN MUSEUM HEIST THIEVES STEAL $1.1 BILLION IN ‘PRICELESS’ JEWELS

The Flying J Journey Middle in Lebec, California, on Aug. 23, 2022.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Instances through Getty Pictures)

Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI’s Los Angeles Area Workplace, informed Fox Information Digital no costs had been filed within the case. She mentioned her workplace continues to work with Los Angeles police and regulation enforcement.

Sgt. Michael Mileski, from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Division’s Main Crimes Bureau-Metro Element, informed Fox Information Digital that investigators are nonetheless “sifting by info and proof obtained to this point.”

“Detectives and FBI brokers have carried out quite a few witness, sufferer and different interviews and are pursuing all leads,” he added. 

Photographs supplied by the FBI Los Angeles present a portion of the stolen items, together with numerous rings, necklaces and gems, amongst different valuable jewels. 

SEE SOME OF THE STOLEN JEWELRY HERE: 

Over $100 million in jewellery is stolen yearly, the FBI has estimated.

Jewellery thefts reached their heyday within the Sixties and particularly 1963 when, in line with Smithsonian Journal, a heist occurred at a median charge of as soon as each 32 seconds. Thieves reportedly stole an estimated $41 million in insured jewellery throughout that 12 months alone.

MAN WANTED IN ’93 BRITISH ARMORED CAR HEIST CAUGHT WORKING AS A CABLE GUY IN MISSOURI

Policeman dusts for fingerprints on a case damaged into on the American Museum of Pure Historical past throughout a jewellery theft.
(Getty Pictures)

Some of the well-known heists of the last decade concerned the American Museum of Pure Historical past in New York Metropolis. Based on the Smithsonian, two males slipped into the constructing late on Oct. 29, 1964, whereas a 3rd saved lookout.

As reported by the journal, “After scaling a fence to the museum’s courtyard, they scrambled up a fireplace escape to safe a rope to a pillar simply above the fourth-floor home windows of the J.P. Morgan Corridor of Gems and Minerals. Clinging to the rope, one among them swung to an open window and used his toes to decrease the sash. They had been in.”

FBI brokers escort Jack Murphy in reference to the theft of the Star of India and different jewels from the Museum of Pure Historical past in New York.
(Getty Pictures)

They then reportedly used tape and a glass-cutting machine to interrupt into fixtures and get away with 24 valuable stones. They made off with world-famous jewels, together with the Star of India, a 563.35-carat sapphire deemed the “world’s largest” by the journal.

‘PINK PANTHER’ DIAMOND THIEF WANTED FOR $2.7 MILLION HEIST

In complete, the stolen gadgets had been valued to be value $3 million immediately, or $410,000 on the time, in line with the report. 

And such heists – some harking back to an “Ocean’s Eleven”-type scheme – have been reported often over the course of the a long time since, although not at all times involving jewellery. 

MAN WHO BRAGGED ABOUT NYC CHANEL HEIST FACES UP TO 40 YEARS IN PRISON

In March 1972, masked males stole an estimated $30 million from a United California Financial institution in Laguna Niguel. In accordance to Cleveland.com, the group was concentrating on alleged “soiled marketing campaign cash” that President Richard Nixon had stashed there, after the crime crew had obtained phrase from Jimmy Hoffa concerning the whereabouts of the money. 

A decade later, two thieves set their sights on the Sentry Armored Courier Corp. within the Bronx, New York, officers mentioned. They stole over $11 million, the FBI mentioned, in what was described as an “inside job,” in line with The Related Press.

And three high-value heists had been carried out individually in 1997, although two focused the identical firm. 

In March of that 12 months, armored automobile driver Philip Jackson handcuffed two colleagues and stole about $18.8 million from a Loomis, Fargo and Co. truck, News4Jax.com reported. Based on the information web site, he then saved the money in a shed in North Carolina and fled to Mexico Metropolis, however was nabbed 5 months later. 

Police examine after an tried armored automobile theft exterior a Safeway on March 1, 1994.
(Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle through Getty Pictures)

Then in September, 5 males robbed a Dunbar Armored native on Mateo Avenue in Los Angeles, the place they made off with almost $19 million in lower than half-hour, the L.A. Instances reported. Investigators reportedly later tracked the thieves by linking them to a chunk of a taillight left close to the scene. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Loomis was focused once more months after the primary heist, in October 1997, when an armored truck driver in Charlotte, North Carolina, used his firm automobile to get away with $17 million in stolen money, WCNC-TV reported. He and a number of other others had been nabbed months later in reference to the scheme.