For months, a band of bold thieves associated with South American gangs earned money from the sport’s biggest superstar homes, targeting the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the NFL, with a pile of gems and cash. I’m here.
According to warnings issued by the NFL and NBA, sophisticated Pillarger deploys drones and signal jamming devices, which may even pose as delivery drivers and maintenance workers.
However, in recent weeks, investigators across the US have made small arrests related to at least one of the most well-known robbers, exploiting stolen sports memorabilia, gems and art stuffed into storage units in New Jersey. I found it.
A group of Chilean men stopped in January while driving in Ohio. He was charged Monday with stealing $300,000 worth of designer luggage, watches and jewelry from the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Barrow. According to a federal complaint that was not sealed Wednesday, the photo showed one of the suspects wearing a sparkly necklace with the Barrow jersey number he was wearing during the interview.
“These individuals look like the tips of icebergs,” said Kenneth Parker, a US lawyer in southern Ohio.
Not only are those belonging to athletes, but gorgeous watches and gems stolen from homes across the country were sold at pawn shops in Manhattan’s Diamond District and hidden in nearby storage units. Item fencing.
It is not clear whether a series of robbers targeting athletes are connected to the same crew in South America, or whether those groups work together. Federal authorities leading the investigation have been closed since the FBI warned in December that criminal organizations were attracting professional athletes.
Superstar athlete targeting robbers at home
Investigators say the international crime ring has plundered high-end homes for many years, but now they are following some of the biggest names in the NFL, NBA and NHL.
The thief broke into the homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Mahomes and Kelce in October, and within days, New Orleans and Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched the game from the stands.
Mahomes and Kels on Sunday try to lead the Chiefs to a record three straight Super Bowl titles.
The gem worth around $30,000 was stolen from the NBA All-Star Le Cadon Chic home in Dallas in December. Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeny Malkin reported a home invasion that took place while his team was playing at home in January.
Corrupted String Similarity
Law enforcement officials warned the Sports League last fall that they were surprised on the day of the game when burglars knew that players weren’t in the home and often breaking back windows.
Several groups scoped out targets in remote areas by pretending to be delivery drivers or joggers.
The Barrow home in Ohio, sits on Gate Street, hiding along a wooded area, and was broken while in Dallas for a Monday night football game in December. The man charged with the invasion was found to be traveling with a husky glass breaking tool he purchased from Home Depot a few weeks later.
In addition to enhancing home security, players are encouraged to avoid posting their place on social media.
Thieves targeting items that can be sold underground
According to an NBA warning based on information from the FBI, the stolen rings focus on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches and luxurious bags.
The two men who were charged in New York City this week have been accused of purchasing and reselling watches, jewelry and other expensive items stolen from a pawn shop in Manhattan since 2020.
According to court documents, the pair were tied up by five independent robber crews and one of the two suspects was “famous in Ohio” on the same day that Barrow’s home was attacked. It tied it to a man accused of breaking into a home of a “athlete.”
A judge on Friday refused pawn shop owners’ bail and said it was “sarcasmy” to release them just before the Super Bowl.
“This is one that Super Bowl defendants must watch from the bystanders,” U.S. District Judge William Kuntz wrote in his decision. “They won’t be players this weekend.”
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