Police recovered an expensive watch stolen during a burglary at Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce‘s $6 million mansion in October.
Travis Kelce is best known for dating pop superstar Taylor Swift.
According to ABC News, authorities recovered an expensive watch belonging to Kelce in Providence, Rhode Island this week. $20,000 in cash was also taken from his home in Leawood, Kansas. Additionally, $100,000 in jewelry and his first ever Super Bowl jersey were stolen.
Venezuelan burglary crews hit the homes of Kelce on Oct. 6 and his teammate Patrick Mahomes on Oct. 7, while they were away at a game. The FBI believes the South American crime ring is responsible for the burglaries that target professional athletes.
Chiefs quarterback Mahomes is said to have lost jerseys, medals, trophies, awards and more taken from his estate during the early morning robbery.
Criminals also stole jewelry and designer bags belonging to his wife Brittany when they ransacked his property last month.
Mahomes’ mansion is pictured above.
The NFL sent a security bulletin to team security directors and the players’ union this week about organized groups targeting the homes of professional athletes.
Perpetrators “appear to exploit team schedules to target athletes’ homes on game days,” and appear to be using public records, social media, media reports and surveillance to gather information on their targets, the alert says.
Once they make entry into the home, thieves head straight for the master bedroom and closets.
Criminals pose as delivery drivers, and ground maintenance crews
The memo said South American burglary crews conduct extensive surveillance, including by making “attempted home deliveries” and “posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in a neighborhood.”
“The FBI reported that the homes were equipped with alarm systems that were not activated,” the NBA memo said. “The FBI also reported that the homes were all unoccupied and, in most cases, no dogs were present.”
Thieves used signal jamming technology to disable cameras and security systems
The thieves cased the homes for weeks and used electronic devices to disable security cameras before making entry into the homes.
“These SATGs are reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices,” stated the memo, which was first reported by The Athletic.
In an Instagram post on November 3, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis said his home had been broken into the night before while he was playing in the Bucks’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Many of my prized possessions were stolen,” Portis said. He later offered a $40,000 reward for information directly leading to the return of the stolen items.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. was burglarized on September 15 while he was attending a Minnesota Vikings game, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. A “yet-to-be determined amount of jewelry” was stolen, the newspaper reported.
