According to reports, the FBI has been collaborating with Kansas City law enforcement agencies to look into the break-ins at the residences of Chiefs players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes that occurred last month.
Along with two cases involving NBA players, NBC News said that the FBI is attempting to ascertain whether those house invasions “are connected to a transnational crime ring such as one from South America.” The NFL took notice of incidents between Kelce and Mahomes.
On Thursday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero posted on the league’s website that the NFL had warned “team security directors and the players’ union Wednesday about organized and skilled criminals that are increasingly targeting the homes of professional athletes.”
This includes the break-ins at Mahomes and Kelce’s homes. Shortly after midnight on October 6, Mahomes’ home in Loch Lloyd was broken into. The next night, while the Chiefs were playing the Saints on “Monday Night Football,” Kelce’s house was broken into. According to Leawood police, thieves stole $20,000 in cash from Kelce’s house.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, four burglaries in the St. Paul suburbs included the residence of defensive lineman Linval Joseph of the Dallas Cowboys. Joseph used to play for the Vikings. The Pioneer Press was informed by West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon that burglars have employed “sophisticated techniques” to ascertain when people leave their houses and the locations of surveillance cameras surrounding a residence.
Due to the lack of sensors, several of the break-ins have occurred through windows on the second floor. According to the Pioneer Press, there are 60 additional instances in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region in addition to others nationwide.
Medina police told NBC News: “We are aware of some of the other athletes in different states that have had their homes burglarized. Our investigator is working with those agencies and other state and federal partners. We can’t say for sure that they are all related.” The NFL apparently believes there is a connection.
“The league, the NFL Players Association and team security forces also have been monitoring the crime spree, which is believed to be tied to a South American crime syndicate,” Pelissero wrote. A source was quoted in that story as saying: “It’s legit. It’s a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they’ve focused on NBA and NFL players, and it’s all over the country.”
In September, Timberwolves guard Mike Conley was at a Vikings game when his home in Medina, Minnesota, was broken into. In a post on X, Bucks forward Bobby Portis claimed that his River Hills, Wisconsin, home had been broken into earlier this month.
ABC News’s Brad Garrett, a former FBI agent, outlined the reasons why criminals could target professional sports.
“Their schedules were going to be published when they’re going to play a game, so it makes it easy when to go to the house,” Garrett said in an ABC video. “These high-profile folks are really ripe targets.” Mahomes talked about the burglary at his home last week at his weekly news conference at the Chiefs’ facility.
“I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing, but it’s obviously something you don’t want to happen — to really anybody, but obviously yourself,” Mahomes said.
Kelce hasn’t discussed the break-in at his house in public.
Palmer McAllister
Dream
Amy Cooper
Dede@10