Man arrested for allegedly stealing 21 tons of pistachios

Tulare County, California — A routine audit by a Central California pistachio producer earlier this month revealed that a whopping 21 tons — 42,00 pounds of the nuts were missing.

So the Touchstone Pistachio Company, of Fresno, contacted authorities. It led to the arrest Friday of Alberto Montemayor, 34, of Montemayor Trucking in Delano, reports CBS Fresno affiliate KGPE-TV. He was booked in Tulare County.

Officials said leads in Fresno and in Kern County helped detectives discover that the tractor trailer with the nuts inside had been moved from a Montemayor Trucking lot to an area nearby.

Detectives said pistachios from one-ton — 2,000 pound sacks were being put into smaller bags for resale.

Authorities said the pistachios still in the tractor-trailer were returned to Touchstone.