$4 Million in Gold reportedly stolen during robbery along 1-95

The FBI and Wilson County authorities are investigating the theft of an estimated $4 million worth of gold reportedly stolen during an armed robbery along Interstate 95 near Wilson Sunday evening, the sheriff's office says.

The sheriff's office says the guards reported that three armed men in a white van approached them, ordered them to the ground, tied their hands behind their backs and forced them to walk into some nearby woods.

Investigators, who responded to the scene shortly before 7 p.m., said the men then reportedly took three barrels of gold and left while the guards were in the woods.

$4 Million in Gold reportedly stolen during robbery along 1-95

It was unclear what form the gold was in, and the sheriff's office declined a request for an interview Monday morning.

But at gold's current value of about $40,000 per 1-kilogram bar, that could mean as many as 100 bars, or about 220 pounds.

A spokeswoman for the FBI said agents are looking to figure out if a federal crime occurred.

Sounds like they're looking at this as a possible inside job. Possible, not definite. I assume they have to look at all angles. With it being gold, I wonder how easy it will be to trace? I honestly don't know, anyone in here know? I'm curious. Somebody HAD to mess with that truck to make it break down along the road. Whether it was a current employee, former employee, or someone who knew the schedule from following the truck. Still sounds like an employee of sorts, it's not like the truck drives around with a big neon sign screaming "GOLD INSIDE". So either an employee opened their mouth to the wrong person, or someone was in on it. Those are my thoughts.

a reply to: Anyafaj

I love a good heist *day dreaming*

in this case no one got injured or killed so kudos to that.

The "mechanical problem" part makes me think it might be an inside job. Also, how would the robbers know which particular semi truck had the gold unless it was pointed out to them. I think what happened is that somebody on the inside tipped the robbers off and also rigged the tractor trailer rig to experience those mechanical problems so that the truck would have to stop, giving the robbers an opportunity to rob it.

Could be an employee is being blackmailed.

The fun thing about gold.
Even if it is stamped, once you melt it down, there is no way to prove where it's from.

As long as you can get it to melt. Tho. 1,948 degrees isn't hard to achieve, however, safety is a concern.

This heist is ths best heist.

No paper.

Just gold you can break off.

Make money.

No trail.

I buy gold. I sell gold. Its so easy

a reply to: Cygnis

Gold is a soft metal... you can hammer a stamp into obscurity.

I would hazard a guess and say they better find this gold then before it's melted otherwise if everyone keeps the secret, it won't ever be found. But, all it takes is one person to talk. One person to think they got away with it and become a blabbermouth. We shall see....

If it was in barrels.
Doesn't seem like it would just be scrap, going to be melted down.

What about insurance job?

originally posted by: OOOOOO
If it was in barrels.
Doesn't seem like it would just be scrap, going to be melted down.

What about insurance job?

Definitely a good possibility. I was curious about whether the owner was in on it from an insurance stand point. He would know which truck, which route, etc...

a reply to: Anyafaj

If you know where it ships from it's a simple matter to follow the truck as it leaves.

originally posted by: Cygnis
The fun thing about gold.
Even if it is stamped, once you melt it down, there is no way to prove where it's from.

As long as you can get it to melt. Tho. 1,948 degrees isn't hard to achieve, however, safety is a concern.

Actually not entirely true. Slight differences in content can be traced depending on what form it was in. For instance a nugget can be traced to where it was mined or a bar can be traced to which batch it came from. Many a claim jumper has found out the hard way that nuggets or gold from veins or placer deposits can be traced to the source just by comparing to assay's.

If it was in barrels, i think it is probably scrap, but good scrap, the kind that is bought by all those gold mills from people needing cash from old rings, bracelets and necklaces. Melting that stuff down requires some expensive furnaces and refining equipment, plus professional skills. The police should probably assemble a short list of people or industry in the area that would own such equipment.

I think they should look for the robbers in Goldsboro ...sounds like a logical place for them to go and it's not that far away

originally posted by: HarryJoy
I think they should look for the robbers in Goldsboro ...sounds like a logical place for them to go and it's not that far away

Very funny!

Total inside job. Whether it was a willing accomplice or an extortion/threatening an employee remains to be seen.

You might think getting away with gold is the perfect untraceable loot, but in an older case of a gold heist, the suspects got caught when buying - of all things - a smelter to recast their stolen gold. That smelter sale led the police right to the suspects. Maybe these crooks did their homework however and learned what pitfalls to avoid...

I think one of the earlier posters might be right...it very well could have been the owner stealing his own gold and trying to double his money by collecting the insurance money. Since he is obviously in the gold business he could slowly introduce the stolen gold back into circulation by creating fabricated purchases. Just a thought.

originally posted by: Cygnis
The fun thing about gold.
Even if it is stamped, once you melt it down, there is no way to prove where it's from.

As long as you can get it to melt. Tho. 1,948 degrees isn't hard to achieve, however, safety is a concern.

wow man, wow, you seem to know quite a bit about this...

*dials FBI tipline*

originally posted by: dr1234

originally posted by: Cygnis
The fun thing about gold.
Even if it is stamped, once you melt it down, there is no way to prove where it's from.

As long as you can get it to melt. Tho. 1,948 degrees isn't hard to achieve, however, safety is a concern.

wow man, wow, you seem to know quite a bit about this...

*dials FBI tipline*

LOL (You could have at least asked him to share with the rest of the class before turning him in! We po' folk too you know! LOL)

a reply to: threeeyesopen

Nothing like a nice clean job. No mistakes at this point?
Looks like clear sail'n. Prolly already melted down into
crucibles.