Posted on 07/24/2003 4:18:01 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As two men go before a federal magistrate in Orlando today accused of trying to steal a Brink's armored car containing $50.3 million, details of the crime are surfacing.
Jose Alfaya, 31, Tampa, and Victor Moscoso, 34, Miami, are accused of trying to hijack the vehicle, while New Smyrna Beach Police Sgt. John Kosorok is being hailed as the hero who stopped them.
All the money was recovered but two other suspects still were being sought Wednesday, officials said.
According to an FBI arrest affidavit, Alfaya, a Brink's branch manager in Tampa, had been trying to solicit Moscoso's help in executing the heist for the past month so he could pay off an extortion debt.
"Alfaya feared for the safety of his family," the document states.
Alfaya's plan called for him and Moscoso to hijack a Brink's truck heading from Jacksonville's Federal Reserve Bank to Tampa.
The FBI report said Alfaya called in sick Monday and arranged to meet his conspirators in New Smyrna Beach. The group spotted their target in Daytona Beach and followed it onto Interstate 4, heading for Orlando.
When the truck approached the State Road 44 interchange at about 7:30 p.m., Alfaya -- dressed in his Brink's uniform -- Moscoso and their companions, in two white vans, pulled it over on I-4. The four-man Brink's crew recognized Alfaya and he convinced them he was performing a spot inspection. He took their guns and badges.
Brink's officials have not returned repeated telephone calls.
While this was happening, Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary Trooper John Manus spotted the truck on the side of the interstate and stopped to see if the crew needed help. A man, believed to be Alfaya, dressed in a Brink's uniform and displaying the proper credentials, approached the trooper, FHP spokeswoman Kim Miller said.
"He said they were having transmission problems and help was on its way from Orlando," she said.
Since there was nothing particularly suspicious about the scene, Manus left, Miller said. Moscoso then drove the Brink's vehicle onto S.R. 44 and headed east.
The plan started to unravel when Moscoso missed the turn into the New Smyrna Beach water plant, where it is believed the money was to be transferred to the vans. The FBI said as Moscoso made a U-turn, the confusion about the missed turn gave one of the guards inside the truck the opportunity to trip an alarm.
Meanwhile, Kosorok, a 21-year police and fire department veteran, was on routine patrol, which included the city's water plant. The alarm first alerted him to trouble after he spotted the truck parked on the desolate dirt road at about 8:45 p.m.
When Kosorok saw five men climb out of the armored vehicle, the sergeant took cover behind a telephone pole and ordered them to the ground at gunpoint until help arrived. A sixth man later was found in the truck.
The white vans were never seen by Kosorok and have not been found.
Moscoso and Alfaya are scheduled to appear before Federal Magistrate David Baker in Orlando at 2:30 p.m.
mark.johnson@news-jrnl.com
Paging Chief Moose! Where are you now?
He would not have be free for long
Brinks dont do nothing for nobody.
Seen it dozens of times! It's VERY good! Based on the true story of the Brinks Robbery (the first million dollar robbery in American history I believe) that occured in Boston in 1950. (Though, like many movies they take some liberties with the true story. Doesn't matter, since it's a very entertaining movie)
Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on the evening of January 17, 1950, a group of armed,masked men emerged from 165 Prince Street in Boston, Massachusetts, dragging bags containing $1,218,211.29 in cash and $1,557,183.83 in checks, money orders,and other securities. These men had just committed the "crime of the century," the "perfect crime," the "fabulous Brink's robbery." At 7:27 p.m. as the robbers sped from the scene, a Brink's employee telephoned the Boston Police Department. Minutes later, police arrived at the Brink's building, and Special Agents of the FBI quickly joined in the investigation.
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/brinks/brinks.htm
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