Posing with stolen merchandise is not a sound strategy for a heist.
The FBI revealed in a 20-page affidavit that it caught the seven Chilean nationals who had burglarized the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, among other star athletes, after the burglars allegedly posted pH๏τos for their fellow criminals to view on an iCloud site, as reported by ESPN.
Seven illegal immigrants have been charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after heisting more than $2 million in valuables, and face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The FBI released images showing three of the alleged burglars and and a fourth unknown person posing with watches believed to have been stolen from Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr.’s Wisconsin home.
That heist totaled roughly $1.484 million, per the attorney’s office, and the four posed in front of watches, with one wearing what appears to be a Chiefs shirt.
A second pH๏τo included the person taking the selfie showing off a watch on his left wrist, along with items on a bed and yellow crowbar, per ESPN.
The selfies the burglars took and uploaded to the iCloud were eventually accessed by the FBI via a search warrant, the report said.
Despite giving the feds helpful clues via the pH๏τos, the group of criminals conducted robberies across multiple states by taking advantage of the athletes’ schedules.
The members of the South American theft group “targeted high-profile athletes … all of whom were away or playing in professional games at the time of the burglaries,” per the release.
They broke into Kelce’s home while he attend to a “Monday Night Football” game in early October, while also entering an unidentified Buccaneers player’s home during a game on Oct. 21.
Mahomes’ house in Missouri had been entered after midnight on Oct. 6.
“Jewelry, watches, cash and other luxury merchandise was taken,” the release said of the Chiefs-related burglaries, which included $20,000 of cash from Kelce’s residence.
Portis’ house was victimized during a game vs. the Cavaliers on Nov. 2, while the criminals stole roughly $300,000 worth of items from Burrow on Dec. 9 while he played against the Cowboys in Texas.
A Grizzlies player also had his house broken into spanning Dec. 19-20 of last year while the Grizzlies hosted the Warriors that Thursday, with about $1 million being highjacked.
