NFL and NBA athletes’ homes were burglarized. Here’s what we know

CNN
—

At least three professional sports leagues He warned his teams This week, organized and skilled groups have been targeting athletes’ homes for break-ins, including when the players are not at games.

The warnings follow recent reports of burglaries at the homes of players in the NBA and NFL. Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

The NFL issued a security bulletin to teams on Wednesday, saying thieves “are leveraging team programs to target athletes’ homes on game days.”

Criminals use a variety of methods, including public records, social media and news reports, to learn where professional athletes live and when they will be away from home, as well as keeping properties under their watch, according to the release.

The NHL told CNN on Friday that it had warned its teams about the thefts but declined to share any communications it sent to clubs and the players’ union.

Here’s what we know:

The NFL memo does not elaborate on the identities of the groups.

But NBA league security officials said in a memo on Thursday obtained by CNN that they had received an FBI briefing indicating that many robberies of the homes of athletes and high-net-worth people were linked to “transnational South American Burglary Groups.”

“These (South American Robbery Groups) are reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that combine advanced techniques and technologies, including advance surveillance, drones, and jamming devices,” the declaration states. Athletic.

“The FBI reported that in the majority of incidents, homes were equipped with alarm systems that were not activated,” the NBA memo said. “The FBI also reported that the homes were completely empty and, in most cases, no dogs were present.”

The FBI declined to comment to CNN on the matter Thursday. But a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that the FBI and local law enforcement are working to determine whether the thieves are part of an international criminal organization.

The leagues’ warnings come amid growing concerns from law enforcement in recent months. “thieving tourists.” Authorities say such criminals enter the United States from countries that qualify for visa waivers, allowing visits for up to 90 days without a traditional tourist visa. When the would-be thieves arrived (mostly from South America, prosecutors say), they joined sophisticated burglary rings that targeted luxury homes, prosecutors say.

The leagues’ memos do not explain whether the groups they warned about fully fit the concerns law enforcement had previously expressed about thieving tourists.

Earlier this year, CNN gave a speech. california couple Prosecutors say his home was broken into by thieving tourists. Carol and Jeff Starr said their family’s $8 million antique jewelry collection was taken from their Orange County home.

In some cases, such thieves use camouflage clothing to avoid detection and may use Wi-Fi jammers to disable alarm communications, District Attorney Todd Spitzer told CNN. Story published in April.

What do the NFL and NBA say to players?

The NFL memo recommends that players take certain social media precautions, including not broadcasting events as they happen and not posting photos of high-dollar items like jewelry, watches or flashy clothing.

At the same time, players set up comprehensive systems that include cameras, sensors and external lights; storing valuables out of sight; and using a trusted house sitter whenever possible.

The NBA memo also called on athletes to remove all real estate listings from public websites that contain photos of the interior of their homes, use dogs to guard their homes, and vet any contractors doing any work in or around their homes.

The NFL memo states that some theft groups conduct extensive surveillance, including “attempting home deliveries” and “posing as groundskeepers or joggers in the neighborhood.”

The NBA memo notes that burglars appear to be choosing the easiest targets: homes that aren’t filled with unarmed alarm systems.

Joe Dumars, the NBA’s president of basketball operations, told CNN on Friday that the purpose of the memo was to “remind people to be careful, to be alert, to be safe.”

“Nothing is more important than the safety of all our key stakeholders in the NBA,” Dumars said.

Thefts at the homes of Mahomes, Kelce and other athletes

Mahomes and Kelce’s Kansas City-area home was burglarized in October, according to CNN affiliates KCTV And KSHB reported.

A burglary occurred early Oct. 6 at a home in Cass County, Missouri, according to a county sheriff’s office report. That house belongs to Chiefs quarterback Mahomes. KCTV And KSHB reported. Details of what was taken were not disclosed.

The other theft occurred in eastern Kansas on the evening of Oct. 7, around the time the Chiefs hosted the New Orleans Saints for a game broadcast on “Monday Night Football,” according to a police report obtained by CNN. The house belonged to Kelce KCTV And KSHB. The police report stated $20,000 in cash was stolen and $1,000 worth of damage was done to the back door.

NBA Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. was at a Vikings football game on September 15 when thieves broke into his home. Minnesota Star Tribune reported. According to the newspaper, jewelry was stolen during the burglary.

Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis said on social media that his home was burglarized on Nov. 2 and “they took most of my valuables.”

Mahomes talked about the crime when a reporter interviewed him last week.

“Obviously it’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” Mahomes said. in question. “I can’t go into too much detail because the investigation is still ongoing, but this is clearly something you don’t want to happen to anyone but yourself.”

Portis expressed his own anger on InstagramHe said he still wanted to “lift up the community” but was shocked to be the victim of a burglary. Portis also released surveillance video It shows two masked men using a tool to break a glass door in his home.

Kelce and Conley have not commented publicly about the burglaries at their home.

CNN’s Chris Boyette, Hanna Park and Andy Scholes contributed to this report.