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NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida (AP) -- A police officer foiled a heist of more than $50 million after he spotted an armored truck parked on a dirt road and helped arrest two men who had allegedly hijacked the vehicle, authorities said.
FBI agent Jeff Westcott said Sgt. John Kosorok broke up what would have been one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. The $50.3 million was more than double the estimated $18 million that was stolen from a Loomis, Fargo & Co. truck in Jacksonville in 1997.
"This was just part of the job," Kosorok said Tuesday evening. "Anyone could have run up on it happening, I just happened to be the one. The big deal is this was $50 million."
Kosorok, who had been called in to work overtime, was about 21/2 hours into his shift when he saw someone climbing into the gray Brinks truck and heard an alarm along the dirt road.
"I knew this was not good," Kosorok said. "Brinks trucks do not pull off their routes and up dirt roads. Their people do not get out of their vehicles."
With his .45-caliber handgun drawn, Kosorok walked up to the driver's door of the truck, according to an FBI affidavit. Suddenly, the front door and the covering on one of the vehicle's gunports flew open. Kosorok heard shouting inside and pointed his gun toward the door while taking cover behind a nearby telephone pole.
Kosorok called the dispatcher for backup. At that moment, Kosorok said five men -- all dressed in Brinks uniforms -- came bailing out of a side door. A sixth was later found inside the vehicle.
"All I could think about was this was going to be one heck of a gun battle," he said. "I ordered everyone on the ground."
All the men complied and Kosorok held them at gunpoint until others arrived.
The truck was on its way to Tampa from the Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville when Jose Alfaya, 31, a Brinks Armored Car Service manager in Tampa, and Victor Moscoso, 34, a childhood friend from Miami, pulled it over on Interstate 4, pretending it was a company inspection, the FBI said.
The four other people in the truck were identified as the armored car crew and were released after questioning.
Alfaya and Moscoso were charged Tuesday with interfering with commerce by threats or violence. They could face 10 to 15 years in prison. A court hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
FBI agent Jeff Westcott said Sgt. John Kosorok broke up what would have been one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. The $50.3 million was more than double the estimated $18 million that was stolen from a Loomis, Fargo & Co. truck in Jacksonville in 1997.
"This was just part of the job," Kosorok said Tuesday evening. "Anyone could have run up on it happening, I just happened to be the one. The big deal is this was $50 million."
Kosorok, who had been called in to work overtime, was about 21/2 hours into his shift when he saw someone climbing into the gray Brinks truck and heard an alarm along the dirt road.
"I knew this was not good," Kosorok said. "Brinks trucks do not pull off their routes and up dirt roads. Their people do not get out of their vehicles."
With his .45-caliber handgun drawn, Kosorok walked up to the driver's door of the truck, according to an FBI affidavit. Suddenly, the front door and the covering on one of the vehicle's gunports flew open. Kosorok heard shouting inside and pointed his gun toward the door while taking cover behind a nearby telephone pole.
Kosorok called the dispatcher for backup. At that moment, Kosorok said five men -- all dressed in Brinks uniforms -- came bailing out of a side door. A sixth was later found inside the vehicle.
"All I could think about was this was going to be one heck of a gun battle," he said. "I ordered everyone on the ground."
All the men complied and Kosorok held them at gunpoint until others arrived.
The truck was on its way to Tampa from the Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville when Jose Alfaya, 31, a Brinks Armored Car Service manager in Tampa, and Victor Moscoso, 34, a childhood friend from Miami, pulled it over on Interstate 4, pretending it was a company inspection, the FBI said.
The four other people in the truck were identified as the armored car crew and were released after questioning.
Alfaya and Moscoso were charged Tuesday with interfering with commerce by threats or violence. They could face 10 to 15 years in prison. A court hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
Job well done to the officer... who performed his job well... it could of turned deadly.
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