Seven men have been charged by federal prosecutors for their alleged roles in a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent professional athletes.
According to the complaint, the seven men -- ranging in age from 20 to 38 and all from Chile -- were members of a South American theft group and are accused of stealing more than $2 million in valuables.
They were charged Tuesday in Florida federal court with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and could face up to 10 years in prison.
The complaint includes a photo of three of the men posing with a safe and jewelry that was allegedly stolen from the home of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis. Portis had posted on social media in November that some of his prized possessions had been stolen and asked fans for any tips or information.
The FBI have also linked the men to the robberies of other prominent athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, as well as unnamed players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Memphis Grizzlies, according to the complaint.
Three of the men have also been charged by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati in connection to the burglary of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home.
Much of the evidence outlined in the FBI complaint is from cellphone data, surveillance video and license plate readers that allegedly place the defendants in the vicinity of the burglaries. They typically used crude methods such a breaking windows or prying open sliding glass doors with crowbars.
The burglars, according to the FBI affidavit, "will approach the residences from cover such as, but not limited to, a wooded or dark area" before breaking into the homes. The groups often would separate into smaller units to commit multiple burglaries, according to the FBI.
"However, though burglary groups may consist of four or five members, these separate groups often work in concert with one another, communicate with one another and [use] the same buyers of stolen merchandise," the FBI affidavit says.
The FBI had issued warnings to sports leagues about the crime organizations last year, saying athletes' homes were being targeted due to the perception that they might have high-value items. Tuesday's complaint also noted that the burglars would target athletes "when they are known to be away from home" because of their public schedules.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.