FBI, DHS operation recovers NHL bobbleheads after wild investigation reveals heist, ransom, and 'cargo recovery team'



The NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins reported that they had recovered their shipment of 19,000 bobbleheads after 11 days of rescue missions that involved federal authorities and ransom demands.

The bobbleheads, which were meant to commemorate hockey legend Jaromir Jagr, were announced by the team as stolen when the shipment arrived in California in early March 2024.

Nearly two weeks later, team officials announced they had recovered the cargo as part of an operation that involved Los Angeles police forces, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI.

"They were due to arrive at the arena," Pittsburgh Penguins executive Kevin Acklin told KDKA. "They didn't arrive. At first, we heard that there was some engine trouble, and then it sounded like a group of extortionists had stolen the bobbleheads, maybe along with some other merchandise, and they were negotiating with the trucking company to release them."

Acklin, the team's president of business operations, told the local outlet that a person or persons used fake documentation to take the shipment of bobbleheads out of the holding facility.

"Somebody put fake paperwork in the hands of a distribution center," Acklin said. "They walked away or drove away with our product. And were starting to make contact with the company about delivering it back. Ultimately, it took about a week."

The shipping company then used its own "cargo recovery team" to acquire the shipment. The Penguins executive also alluded to the fact that the thieves made ransom demands but could not clarify if the shipping company paid a ransom.

"We weren't directly involved in paying any ransom," Acklin explained. "It was on the supplier to recover them and deliver them, and they did that. Now, I'm not sure 100% if they paid anything for that. My guess is that they probably did, and they have insurance for this kind of loss."

The hockey executive said that the thieves had not been arrested but that the truck with the bobbleheads was indeed secured by the recovery team.

An official team announcement said that the "special cargo recovery team negotiated the return of the stolen property to a secure warehouse."

THE JAGR BOBBLEHEADS ARE HOME!\n\nFull details on how to redeem your @68Jagr bobblehead voucher: https://t.co/3lSIozXTYY
— (@)

After the shipment initially went missing, the Penguins' publicity team quickly went to work and made light of the situation, capitalizing on the popularity of the all-time great player Jagr.

"Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually, I got one, missing 17,999. Let me know. Thank you," Jagr wrote on his X account.

Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually, I got one ,missing 17,999. Let me know. Thank you.
— (@)

The team then quickly filmed Jagr taking a fictional journey in his car to find the remaining figurines. That video prompted conspiracy theories that the shipment theft was a publicity stunt, with hosts on "The Pat McAfee Show" wondering if the story had been "a work" of fiction.

"Was the theft a publicity stunt?" a fan asked the hockey team directly on Instagram.

"They were actually stolen, unfortunately," the team replied. "All fans in attendance will receive a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode that will be required to pick up the bobblehead at a later date," the team added.

The cargo never it made it out of California, although Acklin had a moment of concern that they might have gone north of the border.

"I got the call, and they said we have the cargo, it's in Ontario. I'm like, 'How did they get to Canada?' But apparently, it was Ontario, California."

Ticket-holders will use vouchers to acquire the precious memorabilia that was promised to them nearly a month before.

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Brazen booze bandits raise the bar with Florida alcohol heist of $1.6 million in liquid assets



Brazen booze bandits took a shot at a top-shelf heist of more than $1.6 million in alcohol. The Florida thieves were able to pull off a huge heist of the liquid gold in Florida.

According to a newly unsealed search warrant obtained by CNN on Oct. 5, the alcohol heist happened in the wee hours of July 8 at the Republic National Distributing Company in Gibsonton, Florida.

Between the hours of 4:10 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., robbers straight up executed the theft of 4,277 cases of liquor worth over $1.6 million from the distribution center just south of Tampa, Florida.

The thieves handled the robbery by first disabling the surveillance cameras at the alcohol distributor, according to the warrant. However, the robbers could be on the rocks because police have surveillance video from a nearby business and a convenience store of the boozy burglary.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they were able to identify the tractor-trailers used in the burglary by the nearby surveillance footage.

Despite the stiff odds, the thieves reportedly utilized three tractor-trailers to remove the cases of alcohol.

Authorities have reportedly issued a search warrant for an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – which police believe the device has proof of the alcohol heist and "contains specific information, technical data, and evidence."

“While we are unable to comment at this time because this is an active law enforcement investigation, we have confidence that law enforcement is handling this matter seriously and taking all necessary steps to find the perpetrators of this crime," said Kanchan Kinkade – vice president of corporate communications for RNDC.

The Republic National Distributing Company stocks alcohol brands like Jose Cuervo, Malibu, Franzia Wines, and Sutter Home Winery.

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Over $600,000 in 'irreplaceable' wine stolen during 4-hour 'Ocean's Eleven' heist at high-end store in California



California thieves pulled off a heist of over $600,00 in fine wines that is being compared to the movie "Ocean's Eleven."

Around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, a thief started robbing Lincoln Fine Wines in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice. To gain access to the high-end wine and liquor store, the thief cut a hole in the building's roof. The thief then used a rope to descend into Lincoln Fine Wines. The thief put socks on some of the security cameras for cover.

Lincoln Fine Wines owner Nazmul Haque said, "I used to always think they can break in the door and windows. Now, they come through the walls, they come through the roof. You never know."

"We have cameras all around the interior, many cameras," Haque told the Santa Monica Daily Press. "I'm a simple businessman, I do not think like a criminal. I would never have imagined someone would climb down through the roof."

The thief knew to target the wine cellar — where the rarest and most expensive bottles of wine were stored.

Security cameras caught the thief on video carrying cases of wine. Around 4 a.m., the thief began looting the store's main shelves, which triggered an alarm and caused the robber to flee the crime scene.

CNN reported, "Haque arrived at the store at 4:50 a.m. and says a shaft of early morning light streamed in from the hole in the rooftop, illuminating a scene of empty shelves and shattered glass."

The thief was able to steal more than 600 bottles of expensive wine as well as pricy liquor. Approximately 75% of the store's inventory was stolen in the brazen heist.

The robber stole over $600,000 worth of vintage wines and liquor from the store. The thief "cleaned out" all of the Burgundy and Bordeaux wines from the store during the four-hour looting spree.

Of the notable bottles that were stolen, there was a bottle of Chateau Petrus 2016 valued at $4,500, a bottle of rare The Last Drop blended Scotch from 1971 with a retail price of $6,000, and every single bottle of Giuseppe Quintarelli wine.

Lincoln Fine Wines store manager Nick Martinelle told CNN that many of the bottles were irreplaceable.

The store is creating a list of missing bottles to inform local buyers and auction houses to keep an eye out for the stolen merchandise.

Haque believes the thief was familiar with the store and knew exactly what to look for, including expensive bottles that were not openly displayed. He called the theft "planned."

"It was like something out of ‘Ocean’s Eleven.’ We just couldn’t believe it," Martinelle said.

"It is very hard for me to digest. All my hard work snatched within a couple hours," Haque expressed.

"To lose 10, 15 years' worth of work overnight is devastating," Haque told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm not sure if I will recover emotionally."

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the heist.

Lincoln Fine Wines is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who presents information that will assist the Los Angeles Police Department in catching the thief or thieves.

Lincoln Fine Wines wrote on Instagram, "Thank you so much to all of our community! Through all of this anguish, it's been our community and customers that have kept our spirits high! We cannot put into words how grateful we feel to have such a supportive family here at Lincoln Fine Wines."

Thief breaks into Venice wine store through roof, steals more than 600 top-of-the-line bottles www.youtube.com

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Nearly 2 tons of gold stolen from Toronto airport in movie-style heist



Air Canada has been known to lose luggage, but never two tons of gold.

Thieves rocked the Toronto Pearson International Airport Monday night and absconded with a cargo container full of gold and other monetary valuables. The airport is Canada's largest and one of the top 30 cargo airports in the world.

Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn with the Peel Regional Police told reporters that an aircraft landed at the airport on April 17 carrying a "high-value container" full of gold, reported CP24.

A person familiar with the matter told the Washington Post under the condition of anonymity that Air Canada had flown in the cargo — a 5-square-foot container.

"As per normal procedure, the aircraft was unloaded and cargo was transported from the aircraft to a holding cargo facility," said Duivesteyn.

The facility evidently failed to hold the cargo.

Police indicated that the cargo was removed by "illegal means" and that the value of the stolen goods was roughly $20 million CDN or $14.86 million USD. There is some indication that the thieves fled in a truck.

Sky News indicated that the market value of the haul could be as much as $104 million if the stolen gold indeed weighed 1.8 tons, as reported by the Toronto Sun.

The Post indicated that in terms of thieved value, this heist may best the maple syrup heist of 2011, when a group of thieves siphoned 9,571 barrels worth of syrup valued at $13.3 million USD on the down-low, replacing the stolen sticky substance with water. Sixteen people were ultimately arrested as part of a multi-year investigation that saw the syrup-sucking kingpin Richard Vallières brought to justice.

There was a similar airport gold heist outside Montreal in 1990.

The Associated Press reported at the time that thieves armed with AK-47 rifles ambushed a private plane chartered by Brink's Canada Ltd. and made off with approximately $13.7 million in gold ingots and other valuables. The thieves used a stolen garbage truck to smash through the airport fence and escaped in vans.

Police admitted that the bloodless robbery was "well executed" and "done by an organized group."

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority issued a statement Thursday, clarifying that "thieves accessed the public side of a warehouse that is leased to a third party, outside of our primary security line. This did not involve access to Toronto Pearson itself and did not pose a threat to passengers or GTAA staff."

"This is an isolated incident. ... This is very rare," said Duivesteyn. "For the public worried about flying out, there should be no concern. We do not consider this a public safety matter."

Police are presently uncertain whether the gold is still in the country, which is itself the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.

While Duivesteyn was unwilling to speculate on whether it was a professional job, he stated, "We're kind of keeping a broad outlook on it, so we're looking on all angles on how this item was stolen."

At the time of publication, no suspects had yet been identified.

Container with $20 million in gold, "high value" items stolen in heist at Toronto's Pearson Airport youtu.be

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