Crime & Safety
Southern California Man To Plead Guilty In Massive 2022 Jewelry Heist Case
Mestanza and the co-defendants traveled to East Hollywood with the stolen goods and deactivated the phone numbers used to plan the crime.
November 11, 2026
A Pasadena man involved in the so-called "largest jewelry heist in U.S. history" is set to plead guilty to a federal charge, according to court documents.
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Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 32, is expected to plead guilty to interference with commerce by robbery at a future court date. Court documents say Mestanza could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and is obligated to pay restitution.
As part of the plea agreement, Mestanza admitted that on July 11, 2022, he and others broke the locks of a Brinks truck in Lebec, in Kern County north of Los Angeles, before making off with about $100 million of jewelry and gold. The robbery came after a co-conspirator scouted an international jewelry show in San Mateo, indicating to the others that the Brinks semi-truck was carrying millions of dollars' worth of goods.
Find out what's happening in Los Angelesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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