On Monday, a gang of Chilean males were charged with stealing jewels, watches, and expensive baggage valued at almost $300,000 from the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.AP
For months, bold teams of thieves associated with South American gangs have been stealing large quantities of jewelry and money from the houses of the biggest sports stars, including NFL players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
The NFL and NBA have warned that sophisticated pillagers have used drones and signal jamming devices, often impersonating delivery trucks or maintenance workers, to enter gated communities and interfere with home security systems.
However, police nationwide have found stolen jewelry, art, and sports memorabilia crammed into storage units in New Jersey in recent weeks, and they have made a few arrests linked to at least one of the high-profile heists.
On Monday, a group of Chilean males who were detained in January while driving through Ohio were accused with stealing jewels, watches, and designer baggage valued at almost $300,000 from the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. According to a federal lawsuit that was made public on Wednesday, one suspect was photographed sporting a glittering necklace that bore Burrow’s jersey number, which he had worn throughout interviews.
According to southern Ohio U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker, who thinks the men are involved with South American theft organizations that have been looting lavish mansions from coast to coast for years, these people appear to be the claimed tip of the iceberg.
Federal authorities said in court documents released Tuesday that two men are accused of fencing luxury watches and jewelry that were stolen from homes across the nation, not just those belonging to athletes, and that were later sold at a pawnshop in Manhattan’s Diamond District and hidden away in nearby storage units.
It is unclear if the same South American crews are involved in the entire spate of burglaries that target athletes or if those organizations are cooperating. Since the FBI issued a warning in December that crime groups were targeting professional athletes, federal authorities in charge of the investigations have remained silent.
Home invasions target famous athletes.
Investigators said that while international criminal gangs have long plundered upscale homes, they are now targeting some of the top names in the NFL, NBA, and NHL.
During the October game against New Orleans, when Kelce’s famous girlfriend Taylor Swift was watching from the stadium, thieves broke into the houses of teammates Mahomes and Kelce within days of one another.
On Sunday, Mahomes and Kelce will attempt to guide Kansas City to a record three consecutive Super Bowl victories.
In December, jewelry worth around $30,000 was taken from NBA All-Star Luka Doncic’s Dallas home. In January, while his team was playing at home, Pittsburgh Penguins player Evgeni Malkin reported a house invasion.
Similarities in the string of break-ins
In the fall of last year, law enforcement officials alerted sports leagues to the fact that thieves have been breaking through rear windows on game days when they know the players won’t be home.
In remote areas, some of the gangs pretended to be joggers or home delivery drivers in order to identify their targets.
In December, Burrow was in Dallas for a Monday Night Football game when his Ohio home, which is on a gated street nestled along a forested region, was stolen into. According to an FBI agent’s affidavit, the individuals accused of the invasion were discovered weeks later traveling with a Husky glass-breaking tool that one of them purchased at Home Depot.
In addition to strengthening their home security, players have been warned to refrain from sharing their location on social media.
Thieves targeting items that can be sold underground
An NBA warning based on FBI evidence states that the theft rings target money and goods that can be resold on the black market, including luxury bags, jewelry, and watches.
Accused of purchasing stolen jewelry, watches, and other costly items from several burglary gangs and reselling them at their Manhattan pawnshop since 2020, the two men were indicted this week in New York City.
According to court filings, the two were connected to five other burglary crews, and one of the two suspects was connected to the men who are suspected of breaking into the home of a well-known athlete in Ohio on the same day that Burrow’s house was attacked.
The pawnshop proprietors were denied bail by a judge on Friday, stating that it would be hilarious to free them right before the Super Bowl.
In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge William Kuntz stated that this is one Super Bowl defendant that would have to watch from the sidelines. This weekend, they won’t be playing.
By Dave Collins and John Seewer, Associated Press
