Two suspects were arrested in New York City Tuesday amid the FBI‘s probes into spade of burglaries at the homes of professional athletes.
One of the suspects is said to have ties to the robbery of NFL quarterback Joe Burrow’s $7.5million mansion in December, according to ABC.
Burrow, the signal caller for the Cincinnati Bengals, had his Ohio home broken into at the end of last year amid a nationwide string of heists targeting athletes, including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
An FBI raid in the Diamond District of Manhattan lead to the arrest of two men who operate a pawn shop where stolen goods were allegedly fenced.
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, and Juan Villar, 48, have been charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property as part of an alleged fencing operation tied to an organized South American theft group.
Nezhinskiy was arrested Tuesday in New Jersey and Villar in Manhattan. Both suspects are due to appear in court in Downtown Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Two men have been arrested in connection to the burglaries of athletes, including Joe Burrow
Burrow moved into the property in Anderson Township, Ohio back in late 2023
‘As alleged, the defendants created an illicit market and fueled demand for burglaries by South American Theft Groups and other crews around the country by purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items, and then re-selling them in their New York City store,’ said United States Attorney John Durham.
Phone records and video surveillance linked Nezhinskiy to at least two members of a four-man burglary crew believed to be involved in the burglary of Burrow, according to the indictment.
During Tuesday’s search of the property in Manhattan, authorities reportedly seized suspected stolen property, including high-end, luxury watches and jewelry, as well as large quantities of cash and marijuana.
More to follow.