Third man charged in heist of $4.8M in gold bars from truck on I-95

A third man has been indicted on charges related to a heist four years ago of $4.8 million in gold bars from a truck along Interstate 95 near Wilson, the FBI said Friday.

Posted 7:49 p.m. Feb 8, 2019 — Updated 7:49 p.m. Feb 8, 2019

RALEIGH, N.C. — A third man has been indicted on charges related to a heist four years ago of $4.8 million in gold bars from a truck along Interstate 95 near Wilson, the FBI said Friday.

Pedro Santamaria, 56, is charged with conspiring to commit a Hobbs Act [interstate commerce] robbery and with conspiring to possess a firearm in a crime of violence.

The truck shipment of 275 pounds of gold bars was intercepted on March 1, 2015, by three armed men as it traveled north on I-95 near mile marker 144. The thieves restrained the driver and fellow guard, placed traffic cones near the truck and led the two guards into some nearby woods before taking off with 275 pounds of gold bars in a white van.

Several motorists called 911 after seeing the uniformed men running into the highway with their hands bound, motioning for help.

Authorities said Santamaria, Adalberto Perez and Roberto Cabrera caused noxious fumes to fill the cabin of the armored truck before subduing the driver and the second guard.

Perez and Cabrera already have pleaded guilty in the case.

Separately, Orneth South, 49, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbing an armored truck in Charlotte on Feb. 9, 2015.

South and two accomplices pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the guard, stole his handgun and $120,694.25 that had just been retrieved from a nearby restaurant and was in a bag slung over the guard’s shoulder, authorities said.

In exchange for his plea to that robbery and a 2018 robbery of an armored truck in Maryland, he will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, authorities said.

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