- Seven Chilean nationals charged with burglarizing the homes NFL, NBA stars
- Alleged burglaries targeted homes when players were known to be away
- Patrick Mahomes, Travice Kelce among athletes whose homes were broken into
Federal authorities in Florida have charged seven Chilean men with burglarizing the homes of star professional athletes across the country, stealing valuables worth more than $2 million.
The men were members of a “South American Theft Group” that targeted high-profile NFL and NBA athletes, all of whom were away or playing in games at the times of the break-ins, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. The seven men are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Florida didn’t name the athletes in the indictment but identified the teams they play for. As the Associated Press reported, the complaint lists burglaries already made public involving the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies.
The men allegedly stole more than $2 million in watches, jewelry, cash and other valuables, including a safe they later cracked.
What did the burglars steal?
The complaint lists the five burglaries:
- On Oct. 5 and 7, in the Kansas City area, the homes of two Chiefs players were burglarized and jewelry, watches, cash, and other luxury merchandise was taken. The Oct. 7 burglary occurred while the team played in Kansas City. The complaint didn’t list a specific value of the items stolen but it was greater than $5,000 at both locations.
- On Oct 21 in Tampa, the home of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was burglarized while the team played in Tampa. Jewelry, designer watches, a luxury suitcase and a firearm were stolen, totaling $167,000 in value.
- On Nov. 2, the Wisconsin home of a Milwaukee Bucks player was burglarized during a game in Milwaukee. A safe containing several watches, chains, personal items, jewelry and cash was stolen, along with a designer suitcase and designer bags. The total value of property stolen was about $1.484 million.
- On Dec. 9 police responded to a residential burglary at the home of a Cincinnati Bengals player in Cincinnati. The Bengals were playing the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The burglars stole designer luggage, glasses, watches and jewelry valued at about $300,000.
- On Dec. 19 and 20, a burglary occurred at the home of a Memphis Grizzlies player. The Grizzlies were playing the Golden State Warriors in Memphis. The burglars stole jewelry, watches and luxury bags valued at about $1 million.
How were the burglars arrested?
The seven men were arrested over the past few weeks.
Some were arrested in January after a traffic stop in Ohio on state charges for allegedly breaking into Burrow’s home. In that case, four of the men were found to be in the country illegally, according to a court affidavit filed in Clark County, Ohio, per the AP.
Much of the evidence outlined in the complaint is from cellphone data, surveillance video and license plate readers that allegedly place the defendants in the vicinity of the burglaries, according to AP. They approached the homes from a wooded or dark area and broke windows or pried open sliding glass doors with crowbars to break in, the complaint says.
One player whose home was robbed, Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks, told reporters at practice Wednesday that it was good to know some arrests had been made.
“With that being said, you put all you can into the game, and then you come home and all your belongings are gone — things that you worked hard for. It’s kind of gratifying that these guys have been caught, obviously, because you work so hard for your things,” Portis said, per AP.
The alleged thieves took photos of themselves with some of the stolen goods, which were included in the complaint. In one case, a man is wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt while two others display watches.
Those charged in the indictment are Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24; Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 20; Bastian Jimenez Freraut, 27; Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, 22; Bastian Orellano Morales, 23; Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, 24, and Sergio Ortega Cabello, 38.
All are identified as being from Chile.