FBI issues warning to athletes amid burglaries after NBA and NFL stars, including Travis Kelce, were targeted

The FBI has issued a formal warning to US sports leagues after confirming that at least nine professional athletes have been victims of burglaries by organized theft groups.

The sports world, especially the NFL, has been experiencing a wave of home burglaries since September.

Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes were targeted in October, while Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was the latest NFL player to have their home burglarized.

The FBI has now released a report on the wave of crimes, revealing that professional sports stars are being targeted by an organized crime gang while on the road for games.

“These homes are targeted for burglaries due to the perception that they contain high-value merchandise such as designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash,” the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report, via ABC News.

The report additionally noted that “organized theft groups reportedly burglarized the homes of at least nine professional athletes between September and November 2024.”

‘Although many burglaries occur while houses are empty, some burglaries occur while residents are at home. In these cases, individuals are encouraged to seek law enforcement assistance and avoid contact with criminals as they may be armed or use violence if confronted,” the researchers further stated.

The Bureau said organized theft groups from South America conduct both physical and technical surveillance before carrying out the burglaries.

‘This preparation tactic makes it possible for theft groups to commit burglaries 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 obscure their identities,” the FBI report said.

The groups allegedly use publicly available information and social media to monitor and determine the daily routines of their victims and often identified in advance where valuables are kept in 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 strengthen their security teams and be more careful when using social media to avoid sharing photos of valuables, glimpses into the interiors of homes and real-time messages when they are away for long periods of time .

The NFL issued a safety warning to players after Kelce and Mahomes saw their homes being robbed in October.

Kelce, who is dating pop sensation Taylor Swift, is said to have lost $100,000 worth of jewelry and his very first Super Bowl jersey.

Kelce’s $6 million property in Leawood, Kansas (pictured) was targeted by thieves in October

The same burglars are said to have attacked Mahomes’ home in Belton (pictured) the previous night

Meanwhile, quarterback Mahomes reportedly lost jerseys, medals, trophies, awards and more, while the crooks also allegedly stole jewelry and designer bags from his wife Brittany.

Burglars reportedly targeted Mahomes’ Belton property around midnight on October 6. Kelce’s $6 million property across the border in Kansas was burgled shortly after 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 incident in November, saying, “It’s obviously frustrating and disappointing.

‘I can’t go into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing, but it’s clearly something you wouldn’t want to happen to anyone, other than yourself of course.

“I can’t say much about the details of everything yet as the investigation is still ongoing, but I’m sure that will be discussed at some point.”

When Bengals quarterback Burrow was targeted, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Ponton was in the house.

Burrow was believed to be dating his long-term girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher, but they haven’t been seen together in months.

Burrow told reporters about the incident: “There’s already a lot more out there than I would like and I’d like to share that.

SI swimsuit model Olivia Ponton (pictured) reported the burglary of Joe Burrow’s $7.5 million home

Burrow moved to the luxury property in Anderson Township, Ohio, in late 2023

Luka Doncic became the latest top athlete to have his home broken into on Friday

“That has been difficult for me throughout my career, I am still learning, but I understand that this is the life we ​​choose. [But it] doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.’

But the attacks haven’t been limited to the NFL. There have been burglaries at the homes of sports stars across the country, including most recently NBA star Luka Doncic’s Dallas home last Friday.

NBA reporter Marc Stein quoted Doncic’s manager Lara Beth Seager as saying: “No one was home at the time and thankfully Luka and his family are safe.”

“Luka has reported the matter to the police and an investigation is underway.”