The FBI is speaking out to issue a warning after nine – count them nine – athletes were targeted by burglars. These athletes included the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.
FBI Issues Warning
The burglaries began occurring back in September, with the athletes’ homes being targeted while they were known to be either playing games or traveling.
Obviously, these ain’t your run-of-the-mill burglaries.
“These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash,” the FBI said in a statement obtained by KMBC. “While many burglaries occur while homes are unoccupied, some burglaries occur while residents are home. In these instances, individuals are encouraged to seek law enforcement help and avoid engaging with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted.”
The FBI believes that the perpetrators of the robberies are linked to organized crime groups based in South America.
“Organized theft groups bypass alarm systems, use Wi-Fi jammers to block Wi-Fi connections and disable devices, cover security cameras, and obfuscate their identities.” the FBI continued.
Related: Taylor Swift To Stay At Travis Kelce’s $6M Mansion Despite Crime Gang Robbery
Mahomes And Kelce Robbed
The homes of Mahomes and Kelce were each robbed in early October. Mahomes had his home robbed on October 6, and Kelce’s home was burglarized the very next day. Kelce has stayed silent about his robbery, but the items that were stolen reportedly included his first-ever Super Bowl jersey, something he is desperate to get back. The robbers also stole luxury watches and designer clothing as well as other memorabilia.
In total, Kelce reportedly experienced losses of over $100,000. The robbery appears to have been meticulously planned, as the thieves were in the home for less than 15 minutes. Kelce has reportedly beefed up his home security in the wake of this terrifying incident.
As for Mahomes, he briefly addressed his burglary in a press conference afterwards.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating, disappointing. I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing,” he said. “But obviously, it’s something that you don’t want to happen to really anybody but obviously yourself. I can’t speak too much about the details of everything just with the investigation going on, but I’m sure at some point that will be talked about.”
Related: FBI Called In After Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce’s Homes Are Burglarized
Other Athletes Targeted
Aside from Mahomes and Kelce, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has also been targeted by the burglars. He’s been open about the devastating impact this crime has had on his life.
“There is already way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share,” he said. “That has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career – still learning, but I understand it’s the life that we choose. [But it] doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”
Other athletes targeted by these robbers include the NBA stars Luka Doncic, Mike Conley Jr. and Bobby Portis.
At the time of this writing, the authorities have yet to apprehend the criminals behind this. We can only hope that they track them down as soon as possible, as they seem like very dangerous individuals indeed.
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