Suspects charged in burglaries of Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and other athletes
Federal authorities on Tuesday charged seven men who allegedly burglarized the homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow, among other athletes. According to the complaint, the men, all Chilean nationals, are part of a South American Theft Group that targeted professional athletes, stealing more than $2 million of property.
Each man has been charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, if convicted. Amid these incidents, both the NBA and NFL issued warnings to their players about taking precautions.
Per the complaint, the burglaries began last October in Kansas City, one of which occurred while the Chiefs played a home game. Jewelry, watches, cash and other valuables were taken from the homes. Later that month, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was burglarized, also while the team played a home game.
Then in early November, according to the complaint, a Milwaukee Bucks player (reportedly Bobby Portis) was also burglarized during a home game, with watches, chains, cash and designer bags stolen. The complaint includes a photo of four men (one of whom is hiding his face) posing with the stolen goods.
In early December, Burrow’s home was burglarized while the team played in Texas, with about $300,000 worth of designer goods stolen, according to the complaint. Just 10 days later, a Memphis Grizzlies player had about $1 million worth of luxury goods stolen from his home while the team played a home game.
While those are the incidents listed in the complaint in connection with the group of charged individuals, the list of high-profile athletes being targeted grew earlier this month when LAFC striker Olivier Giroud had about $500,000 worth of items stolen from his Los Angeles-area home, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens. Giroud and his family were not home during the incident on Feb. 5, when burglars reportedly broke in by smashing a window and stole jewelry, including 10 luxury watches and other items.
In December, Luka Dončić‘s home was reportedly broken into, with $30,000 worth of jewelry stolen. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. was also a reported burglary victim last fall. It’s not clear who committed the alleged burglaries of Giroud, Dončic and Conley.
