Seven migrants from Chile were arrested and charged in connection with the home burglary of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, per multiple reports.
The defendants were identified as Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 20, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, 27, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Orellano Morales, 23, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, 24, and Sergio Ortega Cabello, 38.
The South American theft group was also linked to the other home burglaries of high-profile NFL and NBA athletes, including Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, per ESPN.
According to ABC News, they were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
Selfie with Bobby Portis’ Stolen Items
A rookie mistake was the undoing of the gang as the FBI tracked the seven men by their selfies bragging about their loot uploaded to a secure Apple iCloud account, which they were able to access through a search warrant, ESPN reported.
In one of the photos obtained by the FBI, Cartes was wearing a Chiefs shirt while posing with his cohorts showing off the stolen luxury watches and safety deposit that belonged to Portis shortly after the November burglary of the Bucks star’s home.
On November 3, Portis posted a video on X, revealing his “home was burglarized.”
“They took most of my prized possessions,” Portis said.
Portis even offered a $40,000 reward for any information related to the incident.
I consider Milwaukee my home. Last night, while I was at work, my home was burglarized, and many of my prized possessions were stolen. If you have any tips or info, please send them to info@bobbyportis.com. Rewards for info leading to recovery or arrests! pic.twitter.com/ORNYHxNC1c
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) November 3, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The total value of the items stolen from Portis, who was referred to as “Athlete 4” in the complaint against the defendants exceeded $1.48 million.
NFL, NBA Stars Targeted
The Bucks star’s home burglary on Nov. 2 was just one of the series of home thefts the sophisticated gang executed.
On Oct. 5 and 7, the homes of Kelce and Mahomes were burglarized. The Chiefs beat the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 7.
Three weeks later, a home of an unidentified Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was also burglarized during a game on Oct. 21.
On Dec. 9, Burrow’s home was reported burglarized. Between Dec. 19-20, a home of an unidentified Memphis Grizzlis player was also burglarized during a game.
On Feb. 5, Sanchez, Morales and Cabello were indicted in Ohio for burglarizing Burrow’s home in Anderson Township in December 2024. The three Chilean were identified in a photo taken from the cellphone of one of the suspects which showed multiple luxury items stolen from Burrow’s home.
The photo taken on Dec. 10, a day after Burrow’s home was burglarized, showed the suspects posing with some of the stolen items.
A photo obtained by ABC News from the Department of Justice also showed multiple items — including wristwatches, jewelry and $10,000 in cash — stolen from the Bengals star quarterback.
The homes of Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, when he was still in Dallas, were also burglarized. But the FBI has yet to connect the seven men they arrested to those home thefts.
Traffic Stop Led to Arrest
In late January, the three Chileans accused in the Burrows home burglary were apprehended due to a traffic violation in Ohio. A fourth man was also in the car but was not charged. The three suspects showed fake identification cards to the authorities.
One of the suspects was seen wearing a Bengals beanie. An LSU shirt believed to have been stolen from Burrow, along with two Husky automatic center punch tools, which authorities said “are used to break glass and enter houses to break glass,” were also found in their car rental’s trunk.
Stolen Items Sold in NYC Pawnshop
The authorities found some of the stolen items from Burrow in a pawnshop in New York City at West 47th.
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, the pawnshop owner and his employee, Juan Villar, were also charged with conspiracy and receipt of stolen property in connection with the South American theft group’s activities.
They have pleaded not guilty.
Nezhinskiy was linked to at least two members of the Burrow home burglary crew by phone records and video surveillance, according to court filings obtained by ABC News. They are believed to be in possession of around $5 million in stolen property, including wine, art, jewelry, watches, handbags and sports memorabilia.
“They have created a marketplace that promotes residential burglaries of homes across the United States,” prosecutor Michael Maffei said in court, per ABC News.
Bobby Portis Suspended 25 Games
But the good news Portis received was followed by the unfortunate news that he is being suspended for 25 games without pay for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.
“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” Portis said in a statement released by the Bucks “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body.”
Mark Bartelstein, Portis’ agent, claimed the Bucks forward inadvertently took Tramadol, a prescription drug which is on the NBA’s banned substance list, instead of Toradol, which is approved and he has taken before to alleviate pain in his elbow.
“I am deeply disappointed that the NBA chooses to interpret its policy so strictly, and that the policy does not allow for a different result for an honest mistake with pure intentions,” Bartelstein said in a statement. “Bobby loves being a part of the NBA and he loves being a role model and a true ambassador for the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee. This has been incredibly difficult for him, but he will accept this penalty with grace and turn this into a great opportunity to improve and further build his reputation and performance in every way, both on and off the court.”
Portis stands to lose more than $2.85 million due to the lengthy suspension.
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