When the Stars Aren't Home

Professional thieves are targeting young multi-millionaire athletes

The homes of sports superstars have become prime targets for sophisticated burglary rings, from Los Angeles to Miami. These aren't ordinary break-ins; they're meticulously planned operations, exploiting athletes' public schedules and social media updates, resulting in millions of dollars worth of stolen jewelry, cash, and memorabilia. And now they've stepped it up: this week, former New York Jet and Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman's home was robbed at gunpoint while he was away, putting his family in jeopardy.

Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested seven individuals from Chile—alleged to be in the U.S. illegally—operating as what the Bureau called the South American Theft Group (SATG). The gang is very professional, utilizing well-thought out plans for the heists. These include very short-term use of throw-away phones; specific assignments for each member of the group (e.g., fake IDs, rental vehicles, fence identification); and careful examination of police investigative techniques.

The SATG’s modus operandi was a novel application of an age-old approach: the use of public information to determine when a high-net worth individual’s home would be unoccupied. Pro sports leagues obviously must make the schedule of their games as well-known as possible. Moreover, the schedules are released far in advance, giving the SATG plenty of planning time. This allowed them to study the homes of the players to determine the best approach for their break-in—in their case, entering the property under cover from wooded areas.

In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, gangs of thieves took a similar approach to identifying the temporarily unoccupied homes of the wealthy. The Social Register, a book in which the well-to-do would publish their vacation plans, was used to identify targets throughout the Northeast. In the era before Ring cameras and easy to install home security devices, the homes were easy targets filled with jewelry, art, and other valuables left behind for the taking.

Seeking out empty residences for burglary was nothing new even 50 years ago. Wedding days and funerals—both well publicized events—often stoked the criminal curiosity. But this new twist on an old approach is especially lucrative. Young professional athletes, especially the big name players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow, and others from the NFL, NHL, and NBA, are likely to have very expensive and fenceable objects in their homes. Outside of wealthy tech entrepreneurs (whose schedules are not nearly as well publicized) and touring musicians, it’s hard to imagine a more attractive target.

So, what to do? Professional sports leagues employ top-notch security professionals—many of whom are former federal agents—who can liase with police departments to provide information about stepping up patrols around players’ properties during games, especially those played on the road. Teams should urge players to consider private security at their homes during those days—a bargain compared to the losses they suffer, the impact on homeowners’ insurance, and the peace of mind they can enjoy as they focus on their games.

While the FBI and local police eventually brought the SATG to justice, the news of their burglaries made national news. Criminals like nothing more than a good idea for doing bad things, and the recent raid of Richard Sherman’s home shows that the problem is not going away unless action is taken.