AP

Suit: Brink’s driver asleep during California jewelry heist

Aug 23, 2022, 3:20 AM | Updated: 6:15 pm

This undated photo provided by the FBI shows a jewelry showcase displaying some of the jewelry that...

This undated photo provided by the FBI shows a jewelry showcase displaying some of the jewelry that was taken during a robbery. Authorities are investigating a jewelry heist in Southern California where thieves stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry and gemstones on July 11, 2022, near the "Flying J" rest stop and gas station in the unincorporated community of Lebec, Calif. (FBI via AP)

(FBI via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the drivers of a Brink’s tractor-trailer was asleep inside the big rig, parked near a remote Southern California rest stop earlier this summer, when thieves broke a lock and stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry and gemstones, according to a lawsuit filed by the security company.

While the second driver was getting food inside the rest stop early July 11 — spending nearly 30 minutes away from the vehicle — the thieves stole 22 bags of jewelry from the vehicle and fled.

The heist nabbed a haul that’s been described by some as worth less than $10 million and others as roughly $100 million and the value is now the subject of two lawsuits filed this month. If the latter figure is accurate, it would be one of the largest jewelry thefts in modern history.

But Brink’s, in a federal lawsuit filed Aug. 4 in New York, stated that the pickup manifests signed by the jewelers reported a total of $8.7 million worth of merchandise in the 22 stolen bags.

The security company’s lawsuit alleges that the jewelers under-declared the value of the items that were being transported and the company is only responsible for the declared value.

The theft occurred near the “Flying J” rest stop and gas station in the unincorporated community of Lebec, about 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles, as the items were being sent overnight from a jewelry show in the San Francisco Bay Area down to the Los Angeles region for another event.

Brink’s is seeking to limit potential payouts to the jewelers, who say their cargo was worth $100 million and that the security company is trying to deny compensation to its customers for a theft “its drivers practically invited to happen.”

Fourteen jewelers and jewelry companies alleged breach of contract and negligence in a lawsuit filed Monday against Brink’s in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“Everyone in our group has been emotionally and financially destroyed,” the plaintiffs said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are lost and do not know what comes next in our lives. Whatever plans we all have for the future for our businesses and our families has evaporated in an instant.”

A spokesperson for Brink’s declined to comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing the pending litigation. The Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant who is investigating the case did not respond to a request for comment.

The Los Angeles Times first reported the lawsuits on Tuesday.

Brink’s lawsuit states that the driver left his partner in the big rig’s sleeping berth while he went to get food — a move the company says was “per Department of Transportation regulations.”

He was gone for 27 minutes and returned to find the lock broken, though the sleeping driver said he hadn’t seen or heard anything unusual, according to the lawsuit. It was not immediately clear whether the driver was supposed to be gone for so long, and if the sleeping berth is sound-proof.

In their lawsuit, the “mom and pop” jewelers are seeking $100 million in damages and $100 million in restitution from Brink’s. The jewelers allege that a Brink’s employee told them to under-value their merchandise on the pickup manifests “in order to save money, because the cost of shipping would be too expensive if they declared the full value of their goods.”

“We are astounded by Brink’s lack of support for their longtime customers who thought they were in safe hands with Brink’s,” Jerry Kroll, an attorney for the jewelers, said in a statement. “After relying on Brink’s for their guarded transportation services, our clients have lost virtually everything in this theft, including their source of income.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

15 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

16 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

16 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Suit: Brink’s driver asleep during California jewelry heist