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A California man, Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, is set to plead guilty to charges related to a massive jewelry heist from a Brinks truck in 2022. Mestanza, 32, will plead guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
The heist, considered the largest jewelry theft in U.S. history, involved the theft of nearly $100 million worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and watches. Mestanza and his co-defendants allegedly followed a Brinks truck from an international jewelry show in San Mateo to rest stops in Buttonwillow and Lebec, where they stole 24 bags of jewelry, according to the Los Angeles Times.
After the heist, the group returned to Los Angeles County to divide and sell the stolen goods. Mestanza and others deactivated their cell phones used during the crime to avoid detection. He was arrested in Panama in July 2025 while allegedly attempting to flee to Ecuador.
Mestanza is also implicated in other robberies, including the theft of $240,573 worth of Samsung electronics and $57,377 worth of Apple AirTags earlier in 2022. Three of his co-defendants are scheduled for trial in March, while two others remain at large, and a seventh was deported, as noted by KESQ.
The plea agreement marks a significant step in the case, but victims, including several jewelers who suffered financial losses, continue to seek justice and restitution.