The FBI is spearheading a coordinated, nationwide operation to investigate burglaries that have targeted professional athletes, the organization announced in a Friday statement.
According to the FBI, the burglaries have been an orchestrated effort by members of South American Theft Groups (SATG), and the organization has arrested two men who they say have run East Coast operations to resell stolen goods.
“Additionally, a federal grand jury in Cincinnati indicted three defendants believed to be operating as part of the organized group and charged them with transporting stolen goods interstate and falsifying records in a federal investigation,” the FBI stated.
“The three men allegedly committed a burglary at the home of an NFL player last year.”
The FBI confirmed to The Athletic that the NFL player in question was Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
The statement comes days after a federal complaint filed by an FBI agent was unsealed Wednesday, revealing photos taken by men who allegedly burglarized Burrow’s house in December. The photos depicted the men flashing stolen goods belonging to Burrow, with jewelry and other pieces totaling nearly $300,000.
Friday’s announcement from the FBI depicts a coordinated network behind the burglaries, which has involved the SATG creating “fences” to cover their tracks. “Fencing” is when individuals knowingly buy stolen goods and resell them for profit.
“The investigations began after a series of home burglaries in which SATG suspects allegedly monitored professional athletes’ travel schedules to identify when their properties would be unoccupied,” the FBI stated. “The FBI believes athletes may have been targeted due to their publicly available schedules, making their properties more vulnerable.”
Along with Burrow, athletes who have been burglarized in recent months include Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Luka Dončić and Mike Conley Jr.
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(Photo: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
