Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are two of the biggest stars in the NFL, but they're making headlines for a different reason this week. On Oct. 6 and 7, burglars broke into both the quarterback and tight end's homes in the Kansas City area in less than 48 hours, seemingly targeting the athletes.
The Mahomes estate in Belton, Mo., was broken into around midnight on Oct. 6, according to People magazine. There was no sign of forced entry, and it's not clear if anything was stolen. Kelce's Leawood, Kans., home was broken into on the evening of Oct. 7, and according to TMZ, the backdoor was damaged and $20,000 was taken. The Chiefs played a home game at Arrowhead Stadium that same evening, so it's entirely possible that the criminals knew the players weren't at home.
While the burglaries were initially thought to be a local issue, multiple law enforcement agencies are now involved, including the FBI. The reason? Sources say that it's part of a larger, more sophisticated organization, and many in law enforcement believe a "South American crime ring" could be behind it. And it's not just limited to the Kansas City area; it's happening in wealthy neighborhoods around the country.
"It doesn’t surprise me at all that this crime spree that is going across the entire country is designed by some very sophisticated people in somewhat of a cartel,” security expert Mike Barbieri told Fox 4 News in Kansas City. He added, "Anybody that’s had their home worked on recently and then miraculously had it burglarized, you can draw a very interesting conclusion from that. Some of the people that were on the jobsite may know people in these cartels and may be selling the information." He also suggested that it's very easy to find information about celebrities and other notable wealthy people online.
Mahomes and Kelce aren't the only athletes who have been targeted by these criminals. Earlier this month Bobby Portis, an NBA star who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, said his home was also burglarized, and police suggest it may all be connected. Like Kelce, the incident occurred on a night when Portis, who was playing in a game at Fiserv Forum, was obviously not home. Portis said on social media that the thieves took his "prized possessions." Mike Conley, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, also dealt with a burglary at his home in September and lost several pieces of jewelry. Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Linval Joseph was also the victim of a similar crime recently.
The National Football League sent a memo to all 32 of its teams today, warning them that they could be next. According to KMBC 9, law enforcement agencies in Colorado, California, and other states have reported that this "South American crime ring" is targeting wealthy neighborhoods in some of their communities. So far, no arrests have been made. Check out the report from KMBC 9 below.
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