Armed heist nets $4M in gold, triggers N.C. manhunt

John Bacon | USA TODAY

A manhunt was underway Monday in North Carolina for three armed men who robbed a truck and two armed guards of $4 million in gold, authorities said.

Two TransValue Inc. security guards told authorities they had been hauling a fortune in precious metals from Florida to Massachusetts on Sunday evening when their truck developed mechanical problems and they pulled over on I-95, the Wilson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The guards said three armed men in a van approached, ordered them to get down on the ground, tied their hands behind their backs, and forced them to walk into the woods.

The thieves took several barrels of gold estimated at more than $4 million in value and fled, the guards said.

TransValue, based in Miami, specializes in transportation of precious metals and cash, its website says. The company, founded in 1992, says its shipments are insured "through the company's all risk insurance policy" up to $100 million.

Owner Jesus Rodriguez told The Wilson Times he was headed to Wilson County to try and determine exactly what happened.

"This is very rare," Rodriguez said of the heist.

FBI spokeswoman Shelley Lynch said the agency was "coordinating with our law enforcement partners to determine whether a federal crime has been committed."