Police believe a South American crime ring is behind the October burglaries that happened at the residences of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, according to Fox 4 in Kansas City.
A police report said Kelce had roughly $20,000 in cash stolen and his back door received damage, according to TMZ.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all that this crime spree that is going across the entire country is designed by some very sophisticated people in somewhat of a cartel,” security expert Mike Barbieri told Fox 4.
Cops received notice of a burglary at Mahomes’ Belton, Mo., residence around midnight on Oct. 6, and the burglars entered Kelce’s Leawood, Kan., home around 7:33 p.m. the next day, per TMZ.
The Chiefs had a home “Monday Night Football” game against the Saints on Oct. 7.
The FBI has aided the Leawood and Cass County Sheriff’s Office in their efforts due to the possibility of the robberies being part of a larger-scale operation, according to TMZ.
Mahomes, who purchased the mansion in 2020, called the situation “frustrating.”
“It’s disappointing,” Mahomes added last week. “Obviously something that you don’t want to have happen to really anybody, but obviously yourself.”
Kelce purchased his mansion last year to receive more privacy while his relationship with pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift blossomed.
The pair stayed at a Kansas City hotel rather than return to the house after the break-in, per the TMZ report.
The Leawood police department said it would not comment in a public investigation in a statement provided to Fox 4.
“Our agency follows up on all investigative leads and works closely with victims to solve open cases,” the department said. “The Leawood Police Department is dedicated to the public we serve and will work tirelessly to ensure the City of Leawood remains one of the safest cities in the State of Kansas.”
The robbers also broke into another home in the area and stole more than $500,000 in jewelry, according to Fox 4. The outlet has released video of burglars conducting that robbery.
“This is a sophisticated operation, it’s not some guy that’s going down to the local pawn shop,” Barbieri, who has security experience in more than 20 countries, told Fox 4.
He added: “If you have a particular individual that’s an athlete, a wealthy CEO, you can find out just about anything you need to find out about these people online.”