Seven men have been accused by federal prosecutors for their alleged roles in a series of robberies in the houses of prominent professional athletes.
According to the complaint, the seven men, aged between 20 and 38 and all from Chile, were members of a southern America robbery group and are accused of stealing more than $ 2 million in valuables.
They were accused on Tuesday in the Federal Court of Florida of conspiracy to commit the interstate transport of stolen properties and could face up to 10 years in prison.
The complaint includes a photo of three of the men posing with a safe and safe jewelry that was allegedly stolen from the house of Milwaukee Bucks, Bobby Portis. Portis had published on social networks in November that some of his precious possessions had been stolen and asked fans any advice or information.
The FBI has also linked men with the thefts of other prominent athletes, including the field marshal Memphis Grizzlies, according to the complaint.
Three of the men have also been accused by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati in relation to the theft of the Casa del Mariscal de Campo de los Bengals Joe Burrow’s house.
Much of the evidence described in the FBI complaint is cell phone data, surveillance video and registration readers that supposedly place the defendants in the vicinity of the robberies. Usually, they use raw methods such as windows that break or sliding glass doors open with levers.
The thieves, according to the affidavit of the FBI, “will approach the residences of coverage, such as, among others, a wooded or dark area” before breaking into the houses. The groups would often separate into smaller units to commit multiple robberies, according to the FBI.
“However, although theft groups can consist of four or five members, these separate groups often work in concert with each other, they communicate with each other and [use] The same buyers of stolen merchandise, “says the Affidavit of the FBI.
The FBI had issued warnings to sports leagues about crime organizations last year, saying that the athletes’s houses were being attacked due to the perception that they could have high -value articles. Tuesday’s complaint also pointed out that thieves would go to athletes “when they know they are away from home” due to their public schedules.
Associated Press’s information was used in this report.
