Alleged burglars targeted pro athletes and evaded authorities for months — until they took a selfie

According to an unsealed federal criminal complaint filed against seven Chilean men allegedly involved in the crime spree, investigators used cell phone records, GPS and iCloud data to link the suspects to the theft of almost $3 million in luxury goods from professional athletes.

After months of working to bring down the criminals responsible for a string of high-profile burglaries of celebrity athletes’ homes, an FBI special agent working with local police discovered a key piece of evidence that would blow the ring apart: A selfie. According to an unsealed federal criminal complaint filed against seven Chilean men allegedly involved in the crime spree, investigators used cell phone records, GPS and iCloud data to link the suspects to the theft of almost $3 million in luxury goods from professional athletes later identified as NBA forward Bobby Portis and NFL quarterback Joe Burrow. But a selfie – believed to have been taken shortly after several of the men allegedly stole a safe from the home of a Milwaukee Bucks basketball player – proved to be the evidence authorities needed to connect the dots. The burglaries made national headlines last fall after back-to-back break-ins at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The thieves appeared to time the break-ins for when players were away at games, prompting major sporting bodies, like the NFL, NBA and NHL, to warn athletes they could be targeted next. In addition to league warnings, an alarmed FBI also announced a nationwide crackdown aimed at identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. Despite national attention, the criminal complaint alleges the suspects continued to stage several more break-ins until investigators uncovered evidence that led to all seven men being charged with federal crimes and accused of operating a criminal ring to sell stolen goods across state lines.