Stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow have had their homes and private lives violated. But stopping home invasions can be difficult. As Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last December a group allegedly robbed the quarterback’s home during a cross-country crime spree that targeted at least six high-profile athletes.
The thefts highlight the unique vulnerabilities faced by famous athletes whose salaries and work schedules are accessible on the internet in seconds, as well as the mix of careful planning and brazen tactics used by criminals to elude security measures.
Burrow’s security detail was posted in his front driveway while he was in Texas but the burglars entered from the rear of the property, making off with about $300,000 in designer luggage, glasses, watches and jewellery, according to a court document.
In a criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Florida allege that a group of seven Chilean men stole items worth millions of dollars from the homes of at least four NFL and two NBA players during break-ins last year. In October the houses of the Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest stars, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, were robbed of valuables including watches, cash and jewelry. Mahomes was burgled two days before the Chiefs hosted the New Orleans Saints on 7 October, while $20,000 in cash was stolen from Kelce’s home on the day of the game.
Later that month an unnamed Tampa Bay Buccaneers player had $167,000 worth of goods taken while the Buccaneers played the Baltimore Ravens, according to the FBI, including a Louis Vuitton suitcase, Rolex watches and a gun. The alleged thieves have also been linked to items valued at $1m stolen from two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant during a game and $1.5m worth of goods taken from the home of a Milwaukee Bucks player, Bobby Portis Jr, around tip-off time as the Bucks faced the Cleveland Cavaliers on 2 November.
Last November the NFL issued an alert to warn team security directors and the players’ union about the threat. The league said in an article that the perpetrators conducted “extensive surveillance”, tracked team schedules and the social media accounts of players and their families, broke in to empty properties and focused on items in master bedrooms and closets. It urged players to install security systems, hide valuables and avoid posting in real time on social media.
The NBA and FBI also disseminated warnings. “Organized theft groups bypass alarm systems, use wifi jammers to block wifi connections and disable devices, cover security cameras, and obfuscate their identities,” the agency cautioned. “These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewellery, watches, and cash.”.
The FBI complaint alleges that the modus operandi of the Chilean group was to approach residences from cover such as wooded or dark areas and force entry through a window or door. It claims that to cover their tracks they switched mobile phones or sim cards every month or so and used fake identification to rent a car.
But this seemingly painstaking preparation may have been undermined by hubristic celebrations: a photograph obtained by prosecutors appears to show some of the suspects gleefully posing with Portis’ stolen safe and watches. In the complaint an FBI agent writes that they believe the men “were bragging to co-conspirators about their recent burglary” of Portis. “It’s crazy that the picture is on there. Like – I’m not going to say anything about that. It works me up, man,” Portis told reporters.
Other crimes not linked to the group in the indictment have occurred recently. The Los Angeles home of the LAFC striker Olivier Giroud was reportedly targeted earlier this month by burglars who entered through a smashed window while the player and his family were out and took valuables worth $500,000. Three Stanley Cup rings were said to have been stolen from Evgeni Malkin’s house in suburban Pittsburgh last month as the P Penguins hosted the Ottawa Senators. The home of the NBA superstar Luka Dončić, then with the Dallas Mavericks, was burgled in December.
In a tragic incident, Sean Taylor, a star for Washington’s NFL team, was fatally shot at his Florida home in 2007 in a confrontation during a botched robbery. Five men were charged in the incident; one told police that they thought the 24-year-old would be away with the team, who were playing against Tampa Bay. But Taylor was sidelined with a knee injury.
Thefts are also a serious problem for footballers in Europe. Raheem Stirling left the England squad during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a break-in at his home in Surrey, while Angel Di María was substituted during a Paris Saint-Germain match in 2021 after it emerged that his home had been robbed while his family were present. The forward Karim Benzema was repeatedly burgled while playing for Real Madrid. Medals were stolen from the home of Chelsea’s Reece James while he was playing in a Champions League game in 2021 by robbers, he said, who “managed to collectively lift a heavy safe containing some personal items of mine into their car”.
