Chilean Theft Ring Targets Elite Athletes

U.S. prosecutors charged seven Chilean nationals for burglarizing homes of professional athletes during games. Victims included NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. The organized ring used temporary phones to evade detection, but was tracked via cellphone signals and iCloud data.

In a major crackdown, U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against seven members of a Chilean theft ring accused of burglarizing the homes of professional athletes. These incidents occurred while the athletes were playing games, leading to significant losses in money, jewelry, and luxury watches.

The list of victims includes NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. There are reports indicating that Chiefs player Travis Kelce, who is linked to pop sensation Taylor Swift, might also have been targeted, although he has not offered a public statement. In Cincinnati, a federal grand jury had indicted three men related to the Burrow incident two weeks prior. Recently, Florida federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against these three individuals, along with four others, all Chilean nationals between 22 and 38 years old.

The FBI has been investigating the Chilean South American Theft Group. The group has been implicated in several burglaries involving high-profile athletes from the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League. The criminal complaint highlights the organized nature of the group, which employed temporary 'throw phones' to avoid detection and made arrangements to sell the stolen items. Investigators traced the suspects using cellphone signals and also published a photo of the alleged thieves with stolen items from iCloud data.

(With inputs from agencies.)