BroBible
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Friday that it has created a “coordinated operation spanning multiple jurisdictions to investigate burglaries that targeted the homes of several professional athletes.” According to the FBI, the burglaries “are believed to have been orchestrated by members of South American Theft Groups, also referred to as SATGs.”
“The FBI has spearheaded an initiative targeting South American Theft Groups by combining our nationwide resources and collaborating with our valued law enforcement partners to link commonalities and suspects of cases across the country,” Acting FBI Director Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. said in a media release. “While some victims of these brazen crimes happen to be professional athletes with careers in the spotlight, rest assured: the FBI is dedicated to protecting all Americans from violent crime — no matter their job description or zip code.”
Through the coordinated efforts of the FBI Cincinnati, Newark and New York field offices, the FBI arrested Dimitriy “Russo” Nezhinskiy, owner and manager of Big Apple General Buyers, and Juan Villar, an employee, in Manhattan’s Diamond District. They are accused in the Eastern District of New York of running the largest east coast “fence,” which is a hub to resell stolen goods.
Additionally, a federal grand jury in Cincinnati indicted three defendants believed to be operating as part of the organized group and charged them with transporting stolen goods interstate and falsifying records in a federal investigation. The three men allegedly committed a burglary at the home of an NFL player last year.
Those three men, along with a fourth who is still wanted by the FBI, brazenly posed for a photo in Joe Burrow’s home after breaking in and are seen wearing some of the Bengals quarterback’s jewelry.
And I just got a copy on an unblurred pic of the suspects. Three of the four are charged federally in connection to the burglary at Joe Burrow's. Four are charged in Clark County. @WLWT pic.twitter.com/WHFVKhHGEN
— Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson) February 5, 2025
The FBI also released a podcast in which Driscoll discussed “why and how the FBI is working to stem the complex criminal threat posed by South American Theft Groups.”
“South American Theft Groups pose a complex threat to our nation,” Acting FBI Director Driscoll said on the show. “But because of the close relationships the Bureau has with our partners and the information we’re sharing to tackle this threat, we’ve been able to effectively and efficiently disrupt these organizations and their illegal schemes.
“I applaud the hard work of our Cincinnati, Newark, and New York field offices in helping bring these criminal groups and their associates to justice. But our work in stemming the threat these groups pose is far from over.”
In addition to Joe Burrow, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Linval Joseph, Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, NBA players Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley and Bobby Portis, and Dallas Star hockey player Tyler Seguin also had their...
