A group of men arrested following a December break-in at Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home took a selfie with the stolen items, according to an FBI agent overseeing the case.
The three men, all from Chile, are accused of breaking into the Hamilton County home’s rear entrance while Burrow’s security team was changing shifts, according to the FBI’s charging documents. According to the documents, while the security team was in front of the house, the suspects snuck around the back.
An associate of the homeowner reported the burglary at 8:14 p.m. on December 9 after noticing disarray and a broken window, according to the federal prosecutor’s office.
The three suspects have been identified as Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38. They were arrested in Ohio on state charges in January.
A federal grand jury indicted them on Wednesday on charges of smuggling stolen goods across state lines and falsifying records in a federal investigation.
The Justice Department believes they are members of a transnational criminal organization. A fourth man was arrested and is facing state charges.
Three of the suspects took a selfie while allegedly wearing some of the stolen items.
According to the FBI, the men were in the United States without authorization, having either entered illegally or overstayed their visas. It’s unclear whether they’ve hired attorneys.
Burrow was in Dallas at the time, and the Bengals defeated the Cowboys 27-20. He stated at a press conference on December 11 that his “privacy has been violated.”
According to the affidavit, over $300,000 in luggage, jewelry, watches, and glasses were stolen from Burrow’s home. A trail camera captured a person carrying luggage near the home, and nearby license plate readers helped authorities identify a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas SUV.
The vehicle was eventually discovered abandoned in Florida, according to the FBI. Investigators discovered that Cabello had leased the SUV using a forged ID. Using cellphone data, investigators were directed to a motel in Fairborn, Ohio.
The three suspects were pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol after their vehicle crossed lanes illegally. Cabello allegedly attempted to delete some of the photos, including one of the back of Burrow’s house, while they were being pulled over. Investigators were able to recover images of some of the items stolen from the home.
Kenneth Parker, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, stated that the investigation is ongoing.
“These individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg of South American theft groups committing crimes throughout our district and elsewhere,” according to a press release.
