LOS ANGELES — A federal grand jury has indicted Federico Santiago Quiroz Lucca, 51, of Los Angeles, and four co-conspirators in a string of meticulously planned jewelry heists that netted over $1 million in stolen goods and tens of thousands in cash. The crew allegedly stalked wholesale jewelers and bank customers for days, using deception and brute force to ambush victims in parking lots, gas stations, and hotels across California, Colorado, and the Bay Area.
The five defendants—Federico Santiago Quiroz Lucca, 51, of Los Angeles; Roberto Melendez Falcon, 51, of Los Angeles; Roberto Alonso Castellanos, 48, of Pomona; Jose Oscar Cupitre Nuñez, 47, of Australia; and Jose Manuel Lopez Molina, 45, of Colombia—are all in federal custody. Each is charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Lucca and Nuñez face an additional count of interference with commerce by robbery.
According to a sworn affidavit, Lucca served as the ringleader, orchestrating surveillance teams to identify high-value targets—often traveling jewelers conducting business in Orange County, downtown L.A.’s Jewelry District, or major trade shows. Once a victim was flagged, a ‘scout’ would shadow them for hours or even days, waiting for the right moment to strike. The crew operated with military precision, often using ruses like slashed tires or fake assistance to lure victims into traps.
On February 8, 2018, Lucca allegedly tailed a jewelry salesman for four hours as he visited stores in Orange County. When the victim stopped in Cypress and returned to his car, he was violently shoved into the door and knocked off balance. His bag—containing approximately $400,000 in jewelry—was snatched and vanished. No arrests were made that day. The operation was clean, fast, and brutal.
In another brazen incident in January 2019, a Connecticut-based jewelry couple was robbed at the Los Angeles Convention Center after a man in a yellow-and-orange safety vest offered to help load their equipment. He pushed their cart—loaded with merchandise—away, and their bag holding $400,000 in jewelry disappeared. Investigators later confirmed the crew had tracked the couple for days before the theft.
Lucca, Nuñez, and Molina were arrested earlier this month in Northern California while allegedly surveilling jewelry stores, a private residence, and the Santa Clara Convention Center ahead of a scheduled trade show. Castellanos was apprehended in Las Vegas on April 12; Falcon was taken into custody in Los Angeles on April 13. All five are set for arraignment in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on May 3. An indictment contains allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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