Additional Coverage:
A gang of Chilean burglars targeted the homes of prominent athletes, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow, stealing an estimated $3 million in luxury goods. The thieves operated over three months late last year, traveling city to city using rental cars obtained with fake IDs and burner phones.
Their sophisticated methods involved surveilling athletes’ homes, even monitoring security guards’ patterns. They gained entry by forcing open small windows or sliding doors, then quickly converted stolen watches, jewelry, designer bags, and cash through contacts far from the crime scenes.
The FBI investigation, detailed in a recently unsealed complaint, revealed the gang targeted athletes from the NFL, NBA, and NHL. The complaint outlines how the burglars divided responsibilities, including renting vehicles, securing lodging, obtaining fake IDs, and contacting buyers for the stolen goods.
Despite their careful planning, the thieves made critical errors. Selfies taken with stolen items, including watches apparently taken from Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis Jr.’s home, and uploaded to an iCloud account, provided key evidence for the FBI.
The complaint links the gang to burglaries at the homes of Mahomes and Kelce, Portis, and Burrow, as well as two other unnamed athletes, one from the Memphis Grizzlies and another from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the dates and locations in the complaint align with other reported burglaries, including those targeting Tyler Seguin and Luka Dončić, it’s unclear if the Chilean gang was involved in those incidents.
The burglars’ ability to monitor athletes’ schedules and even the movements of security personnel contributed to their initial success. However, law enforcement used a combination of high-tech tools, including license plate readers and cell phone tower data, to track the gang’s movements.
The FBI also identified a New York pawn shop connected to the ring. Three of the seven suspects have been indicted in Ohio, and authorities believe this may be just the beginning of uncovering a larger criminal operation. The suspects, identified in the complaint, could face up to 10 years in prison.