How many times has a Brinks armored truck been robbed?

Brink's (founded 1859 as a secure transport company) has operated armored trucks since the 1920s, and over its 165+ year history, its vehicles and facilities have been targeted in numerous robberies. There is no single exhaustive public list of every incident—many smaller or unsuccessful attempts receive little coverage—but several stand out as historically significant due to their scale, planning, violence, or cultural impact. Below is a chronological summary of the most notable U.S. Brink's armored truck (or closely related armored service/depot) robberies, based on documented cases. (Note: The iconic 1950 event targeted a depot rather than a moving truck but is universally known as the "Brink's robbery.")

Early Era: Bold, Explosive Attacks (1920s)

• March 11, 1927 – Coverdale Mine / Bethel Park, Pennsylvania (first known successful Brink's armored truck robbery): The Detroit-based Flatheads gang (led by Paul Jaworski) targeted a Brink's armored car carrying over $100,000 in coal mine payroll. They stole black powder the day before, buried it in the roadbed, and detonated it remotely with a plunger, flipping the armored car and disabling the escort vehicle. The gang grabbed the payroll envelopes and fled in getaway cars. No serious injuries to guards. Jaworski and one accomplice were arrested after a manhunt; Jaworski escaped jail but was later recaptured and executed by electric chair in 1929. This violent heist prompted Brink's to enhance vehicle armor and markings.

Mid-Century: Sophisticated "Perfect Crimes" (1950s)

• January 17, 1950 – Great Brink's Robbery, Boston, Massachusetts (depot heist): Eleven men (led by Anthony "Fats" Pino) executed what was called the "crime of the century" and "perfect crime." After 18+ months of planning (including surveillance, duplicated keys, and rehearsals), they entered the North End depot disguised in uniforms/masks, bound five employees, and stole $2.775 million ($1.2M cash + $1.5M+ in checks/securities; ~$37M today) in ~20 minutes. They used a stolen truck for getaway. The case went unsolved for nearly six years until one robber (Joseph "Specs" O'Keefe) turned informant just before the statute of limitations expired. Eight men were convicted and received life sentences (most loot remains unrecovered). This remains one of the largest cash heists in U.S. history at the time.

Late 20th Century: Violent, Politically Motivated Attacks (1980s–1990s)

• October 20, 1981 – Nanuet Mall / Nyack, New York: Members of the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and former Weather Underground affiliates (May 19th Communist Organization) ambushed a Brink's armored car outside a bank at the mall. They stole ~$1.6 million (~$5.7M today) using M16 rifles and shotguns. They killed Brink's guard Peter Paige, wounded two others, then killed two Nyack police officers (Edward O'Grady and Waverly Brown) and wounded a third during a roadblock shootout. Multiple arrests followed over years; key convictions included long sentences (some commuted decades later). The case helped establish the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Other 1980s–1990s incidents included highway ambushes (e.g., 1984 in California) and smaller cash thefts, often involving gunfire or stolen vehicles.

21st Century: High-Value or Insider-Involved Heists (2000s–Present)

• September 30, 2008 – Monroe, Washington ("D.B. Tuber" robbery): A landscaper (later identified as Anthony Curcio) pepper-sprayed a Brink's guard during a bank delivery and stole ~$400,000. He escaped on an inner tube down a creek after using Craigslist to create a distraction (hiring lookalikes in identical outfits). Convicted via DNA and witness tips.
• July 2022 – Lebec, California (I-5 truck stop): Thieves broke into a parked Brink's tractor-trailer (en route from a San Mateo jewelry show) and stole dozens of bags of high-value gold/jewelry. Federal prosecutors later called it the "largest jewelry heist in U.S. history," with estimates in the tens to low hundreds of millions. Seven Southern California men were charged in 2025.
• 2021–2022 – Washington, D.C. (Choppa City crew robberies): A street crew carried out at least three armed assaults on Brink's trucks (October 2021, December 2021, March 2022), stealing over $1.2 million total by assaulting drivers with firearms. Two members received decades-long federal sentences in 2025.
• Ongoing (2020s, including 2025 Philadelphia area incidents): Multiple armed robberies of Brink's (and similar) trucks in cities like Philadelphia (e.g., a ~$2M heist in 2025 involving a former insider, plus related attempts) and other urban areas. These often involve guns, quick ambushes at stops, or distraction tactics; some remain unsolved or tied to local crews.

Trends and Context: Early robberies were often payroll-focused and used explosives or ambushes. Mid-century ones emphasized meticulous planning. Modern ones tend to be faster, more violent street-level hits or exploit insiders/vulnerabilities, though improved vehicle tech, GPS, and response protocols have reduced success rates. Brink's has offered rewards and enhanced security (e.g., visible logos since the 1920s) in response. Many incidents involve federal investigations due to interstate commerce impacts.

Brink's itself rarely publishes comprehensive robbery statistics for security reasons.