Home / Crime and Justice / Beer Heist: 40,000 lbs of PBR Vanish in California
Beer Heist: 40,000 lbs of PBR Vanish in California
29 Aug
Summary
- Two cargo thefts at Anheuser-Busch facility may be linked.
- A truck with 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is missing.
- Police suspect a fraudulent cargo-theft operation.
- Two shipments valued at $45,000 and $25,000 were stolen.
- Pabst offered a reward and a deadline for the return of the beer.
Montclair police are investigating two potential cargo thefts that occurred on August 17 at an Anheuser-Busch distribution center. Investigators believe these incidents may be connected to a single fraudulent cargo-theft operation. The first theft involved a shipment worth approximately $45,000 destined for Tucson, Arizona, which disappeared after being picked up for delivery around 10 a.m. local time. Shortly after, about $25,000 worth of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products were picked up using fraudulent paperwork by a company claiming to be a subcontractor. Discrepancies were noted in the trucking company information, driver, and vehicles associated with both pickups.
Pabst Blue Ribbon reported its own truck and a shipment of 40,000 pounds of beer missing, humorously acknowledging the temptation to brag about such a haul. The beer brand set an unusual deadline of exactly 18 days and 44 minutes for the truck's return with no repercussions. They also offered an undisclosed reward for assistance in cracking the case. To address speculation, Pabst confirmed the disappearance was a genuine incident, not a marketing stunt, and urged anyone with information to send direct messages. As the deadline approached, the company emphasized the urgency to provide leads.
