The FBI has issued a formal warning to American sports leagues after confirming that at least nine professional athletes have been victims of robberies by organized theft groups.
The sports world, particularly the NFL, has suffered a series of home burglaries dating back to September.
Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes were attacked in October, while Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was the latest NFL player to have his home broken into.
The FBI has now released a report on the spate of crimes, indicating that professional sports stars are being targeted by an organized crime gang while traveling to attend games.
“These homes are targeted for burglaries due to the perception that they may contain high-end items such as designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash,” the FBI said in a link information report, via ABC News.
The report further stated that “organized robbery groups allegedly robbed the homes of at least nine professional athletes” between September and November 2024.
The FBI has issued a warning following the series of burglaries at the homes of professional athletes, including those of Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
'While many burglaries occur while homes are unoccupied, some burglaries occur while residents are home. In these cases, people are encouraged to seek police help and avoid engaging with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted,” the researchers further stated.
The Bureau said organized thief groups in South America conduct both physical and technical surveillance before carrying out the robberies.
'These preparation tactics allow groups of thieves to carry out robberies in a short time. “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 report says.
The groups are said to use publicly available information, as well as social media, to monitor and establish the daily routines of their victims and have often identified in advance where valuables are kept within the properties, according to the FBI.
The FBI advised athletes to report suspicious activity and keep an inventory of their valuables and their location.
They also encouraged them to beef up their security teams and take greater care when using social media to avoid sharing photos of valuables, peeks inside homes and real-time posts when away from the property for long periods of time.
The NFL issued a security alert to players after Kelce and Mahomes had their homes raided in October.
Kelce, who is dating pop sensation Taylor Swift, is believed to have lost $100,000 in jewelry and his first Super Bowl jersey.
Kelce's $6 million property in Leawood, Kansas (pictured) was hit by burglars in October
The same thieves reportedly attacked Mahomes' Belton home (pictured) the night before.
Meanwhile, quarterback Mahomes allegedly lost jerseys, medals, trophies, awards and more, while criminals are also believed to have stolen jewelry and designer handbags belonging to his wife Brittany.
Thieves are said to have attacked Mahomes' home in Belton around midnight on October 6. Kelce's $6 million estate across the border in Kansas was broken into shortly afterward, on Oct. 7, the day the Chiefs faced the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium with Swift. watching from the stands.
Mahomes spoke briefly about the November incident, saying, “Obviously, it's frustrating, disappointing.
“I can't go into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing, but obviously, it's something you don't want to happen to anyone except, obviously, yourself.
“I can't talk much about the details of everything while the investigation continues, but I'm sure it will be talked about at some point.”
When Bengals quarterback Burrow was attacked, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Ponton was in the house.
Burrow was believed to be dating his long-time girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher, but they have not been seen together in months.
Burrow told reporters of the incident: “There's already a lot more out there than I'd like and that's what I'd like to share.”
SI swimsuit model Olivia Ponton (pictured) reported Joe Burrow's $7.5 million home burglarized.
Burrow moved into the luxury property in Anderson Township, Ohio, in late 2023.
Luka Doncic became the latest elite sports star to have his home robbed on Friday
“It has been difficult for me to face my entire career; I am still learning, but I understand that it is the life we chose.” (But that) doesn't make it any easier to deal with.'
But the attacks have not been limited to the NFL. Burglaries have occurred at sports star homes across the country, including most recently at NBA star Luka Doncic's property in Dallas last Friday.
NBA journalist Marc Stein quoted Doncic's business manager, Lara Beth Seager, as saying: “No one was home at the time and fortunately Luka and his family are safe.”
“Luka has filed a police report and an investigation is underway.”