Thieves pull half a million dollars in jeans off trucks

Keith Paul

Friday, July 7, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

Well-organized thieves have stolen more than $500,000 worth of Levi blue jeans in recent weeks by hauling away truck-loads of the clothing.

The first heist of two trailer loads of apparel occurred at the Sunset Station hotel-casino parking lot on June 24. Two loaded trailers and an ABF Freight System tractor were taken from the parking lot.

Two days later the tractor was found at the intersection of Rainbow Boulevard and Richmar Avenue. The two empty trailers were found at truck stops on Interstate 15 -- one at Craig Road and the other at Cheyenne Avenue.

Apparently another tractor was stolen June 26 at the Cheyenne truck stop and was used to haul the trailers. The tractor was returned later the same day to the truck stop.

"We feel that it is probably one group doing it," said Lt. Chris Larotonda of the North Las Vegas Police.

Another tractor-trailer filled with Levi's clothing was stolen sometime late Saturday or early Sunday from the ABF Freight System yard on North Lamb Boulevard in North Las Vegas.

In the two heists, more than 1,800 cartons of clothing were stolen with each carton containing at least 12 pairs of blue jeans, said William Downes, regional security manager for ABF Freight System.

About $305,000 worth of clothing was taken in the first heist and about $200,000 worth of Levi clothing was stolen in the second robbery.

Authorities speculate most of the jeans are probably out of Nevada by now and possibly out of the country.

"Some may have been sold to some (local) stores at a considerable discount or sold at swap meets," Larotonda said. "We're on the look out for those kind of activities trying to trace it back to those who stole the clothing."

Downes said a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovering of the clothing and/or the arrest and convictions of the thieves.

"Eventually, we believe the jeans will end up south of the border or overseas," Downes said.

The freight yard in North Las Vegas only used locks on the gates and locking up the trucks as security, but since Saturday's theft, a guard has been added and an alarm system is being installed, Downs said.

Authorities think the thieves were well organized. Apparently a trailer was stolen early Saturday from a construction site about three miles away from the ABF Freight yard and then recovered around the corner from the North Las Vegas company. Downes speculated that the thieves were going to use it to take the trailer that night but encountered too much activity and came back the next night.

While Henderson and North Las Vegas police are investigating their respective cases, the FBI also has opened a case on the thefts because they involve interstate commerce, said Special Agent Daron Borst of the local FBI office.