CINCINNATI -- Three men were charged by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati in connection to the burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home.
Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, were charged following an indictment that was issued on Feb. 3, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio.
All three men are Chilean and believed to be part of a South American theft group. The men were charged with transporting stolen goods interstate and falsifying records in a federal investigation.
"Our investigation remains ongoing as these individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg of South American Theft Groups committing crimes throughout our district and elsewhere," U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said in a statement. "We owe it to the victims, whether they are or are not professional athletes, to follow the evidence into these alleged criminal networks and hold the law-breakers accountable.
Police allege that Cabello deleted photos of items stolen from Burrow's home and of the back of the quarterback's home. Federal officials also cited a photo of luxury luggage and stolen jewelry that belonged to Burrow, who was not named by the FBI in Wednesday's announcement.
Sanchez, Morales and Cabello are also facing felony charges in Ohio following their initial arrest on Jan. 10, according to a release issued by the Ohio attorney general.
Wednesday's events were the latest in a series of cases developing around the country. On Monday, a U.S. district court unsealed grand jury charges against two men who allegedly ran a fencing operation involving the South American theft groups.
The U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York alleged that Dimitry Nezhinskiy, 43, and Juan Villar, 48, conspired to receive stolen property and sell it at their pawn shop in New York's Diamond District. In the release issued earlier this week, authorities claim that phone records and surveillance showed Nezhinskiy had a connection with the men arrested for the Burrow break-in.
According to court news release, Nezhinskiy allegedly contacted at least two members of the burglary crew one week before Burrow's home was robbed. If convicted, Nezhinskiy and Villar could each face up to 10 years in prison.
ESPN's Michael Rothstein contributed to this report.