- Seven men have been charged in connection to a string of burglaries at the homes of high-profile athletes. The men, all from Chile, range in age from 20-38.
- The homes of NFL stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow are among those linked to the arrests.
- The federal complaint alleges the men had a “clear and consistent modus operandi” to target the athletes.
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A ring of thieves from South America have been burglarizing homes of professional athletes for months, striking when they know the athletes are away. On Tuesday, Feb. 18, federal prosecutors charged seven men for their alleged roles in those burglaries.
Who is charged in the burglaries?
According to the federal complaint, the seven men, all from Chile, are accused of stealing more than $2 million in valuables during a string of burglaries. The men range in age from 20 to 38 years old. The Justice Department included a photo of three of them posing with a safe that contained watches and other jewelry law enforcement said
belonged to Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis.
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The men were charged in a Florida federal court with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and could face 10 years in prison.
Who are the burglary victims?
In addition to the home of Bobby Portis, burglaries the theft ring have been linked to include those of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and unnamed players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Memphis Grizzlies.
Three of the seven men also face state and federal charges in Ohio in connection with a burglary at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said the task force responsible for the arrests will not stop.
“Our message across the nation to criminals like this and organized crime is we can find you. We will find you and we will bring you to justice.” McGuffey said.
How did they allegedly commit the crimes?
The complaint alleged that the burglars had a quote “clear and consistent modus operandi” that began by identifying a target based on the publicly available game schedules and locations of athletes. They approached the home from a dark or wooded area and entered by breaking a window or by using a crowbar to pry open a sliding door.
Once inside, they would then identify the highest-value items, such as watches, jewelry and merchandise, before leaving the residence, authorities said. The group normally used “throw phones” for one-month periods to “thwart law enforcement,” the complaint stated.
Law enforcement also stressed that these arrests are just one small part of a nationwide ring responsible for the thefts.
Where does the investigation go from here?
On Dec. 30, 2024, the FBI issued a formal warning to sports leagues about organized theft groups targeting professional athletes.
The latest reported incident took place in Los Angeles on Feb. 5. The home of LAFC soccer star Olivier Giroud was broken into while he attended preseason training with his team. Thieves stole approximately $500,000 worth of watches. It’s not known if that burglary is connected to any of the other high-profile crimes.
