By Steve Neavling
Federal prosecutors in Florida have charged seven Chilean men in connection with a series of high-end burglaries that targeted the homes of professional athletes across the country between October and December.
Court records don’t identify the victims by name, but details match break-ins at the homes of NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, NPR reports. Players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Memphis Grizzlies were also hit, according to a federal affidavit.
The charges, announced Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Middle District, add to cases already filed in state and federal courts in Ohio, where Burrow’s home was burglarized in December.
Prosecutors say the thieves stole luxury items, including Rolex watches, jewelry, and designer suitcases. The total value of stolen goods and cash reaches into the millions, though precise figures for each burglary weren’t included in court records. A Milwaukee Bucks player reported losing an estimated $1.48 million in valuables in November, while a Memphis Grizzlies player had about $1 million stolen in December.
The suspects, identified in the criminal complaint, are Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, and Sergio Ortego Cabello.
The federal public defender’s office in Tampa declined to comment when contacted by NPR.
The FBI believes the men are part of a South American Theft Group, a term used for small, coordinated crews that target high-end homes across the U.S. Law enforcement officials say members of these groups often enter the country illegally or overstay their visas. The burglars typically steal only high-value goods and cash, as seen in the break-ins involving professional athletes.
