Police told the news agency the operation unfolded in two separate incidents that day. In the first, about $45,000 worth of beer en route to Tucson, Arizona, was picked up but undelivered; an hour later, someone presenting fake documents from a “purported subcontracting company” collected another $25,000 worth of product.
Pabst CEO Greig DeBow responded publicly, posting a video to TikTok and offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the beer’s recovery, the AP reports.
“I’m sure they look cool with a garage full of PBR,” DeBow said. “That’s actually not cool though. We want it back.”
The company is asking anyone with information to email hotline@pabst.com, and has set a return deadline of September 9.
A well-executed scheme — and a growing problem
The Montclair theft wasn’t a smash-and-grab. The use of fake subcontracting documents to impersonate a legitimate freight pickup is an example of what Verisk calls ”theft by deception” — a scheme the company flagged in its 2025 outlook as an anticipated growth area for organized criminal groups.
According to Verisk’s cargo theft report, food and beverage theft spiked 47% in 2025, making it the fastest-growing category of cargo crime. Overall cargo theft losses hit almost $725 million that year — a 60% jump from 2024 — with the average theft now worth nearly $274,000. California remained the most affected state, accounting for 1,218 of 3,594 total U.S. and Canadian incidents.
The beer theft fits a broader pattern Verisk’s operations vice president, Keith Lewis, identified: organized criminal groups are “becoming more selective and sophisticated, targeting extremely high value shipments rather than relying on opportunistic theft.” This is where the window between a legitimate pickup and a fraudulent one can be as narrow as a forged document.
This wasn’t an isolated food heist
The AP notes that the PBR theft is part of a recent wave of high-profile food and beverage crimes. Late last year in New England, 40,000 oysters, $400,000 worth of lobster and a cache of crabmeat were separately stolen within weeks. In March, Nestlé reported more than 413,000 KitKat bars heading for Poland were stolen after leaving its Italian production facility.
According to the Verisk Q2 2026 update, food and beverage theft has since declined overall in 2026 as criminal groups pivot toward higher-value metals and enterprise technology — but the schemes that do target food and drink are growing more sophisticated, not less.
The financial exposure for businesses
For a brand like Pabst, a $70,000 loss in product is significant, but the reputational and operational exposure of a high-profile theft can be equally costly. The company’s decision to offer a $20,000 reward reflects both the financial stakes and the brand value of being seen to respond aggressively.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau tracks cargo theft as one of the most costly property crimes in the country, with food and beverage among the top stolen categories. It’s a good reminder that supply chain security requires verification protocols at every handoff point, not just at the point of theft.
As for the beer itself, DeBow seems to have a sense of humor about it — even while making it clear it isn’t funny.
With a writing and editing career spanning over 15 years, Emma creates and refines content across a broad spectrum of industries, including personal finance, lifestyle, travel, health & wellness, real estate, beauty & fitness and B2B/SaaS/tech.
