The Kansas City Chiefs’ seemingly annual trip to the Super Bowl should only add to the anxieties of players like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, both of who had their homes recently burglarized.
And they’re not alone.
NFL players and pro athletes in general have been routinely targeted by thieves who can easily learn the whereabouts of the millionaire jocks by looking at their respective teams’ schedules. Luka Doncic had $30,000 worth of jewelry stolen prior to his recent trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, and other NBA players like the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Mike Conley have also seen their homes ransacked.
Recently a gang of four men from Chile were indicted by a grand jury in Clark County, Ohio after allegedly taking part in a string of home robberies, including the burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s mansion in Anderson Township. Police found the group in possession of LSU and Bengals gear, which is believed to have been taken from Burrow’s home. Officers say the men were in the country illegally after overstaying their permission.
Now Jeff Wenninger, a former high-ranking LAPD officer with three decades of experience, is revealing the methods such sophisticated burglars use to infiltrate the homes of the rich and famous.
As he told the US Sun, it all starts with a jammer.
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City-area properties were burglarized in October
Kelce had an array of valuable items stolen from his $6million Kansas City property
‘Many burglary victims report getting notifications from their alarm systems while they’re away,’ Wenninger, now the CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants, said. ‘[But] in the days leading up to the burglary, they may have noticed issues with their alarm.
‘That’s because these groups test their jamming equipment beforehand.’
Often using radio waves or cellular technology, the jamming equipment is aimed at disrupting communication signals to and from home security systems. This allows thieves to get in and out of the home in around 15 minutes without attracting law enforcement.
The gangs, Wenninger says, often come from Colombia and Chile. They typically enter the US on 90-day visas, and as one former NYPD officer told the Sun, are quick to move on once they’ve become known in any one area.
‘Once they realize they’ve created a wake of reported crimes, they’ll lay low or relocate temporarily,’ said the former officer, who asked to go unidentified because he is still working in another sector.
They’re also often disguised as construction workers, gardeners, or pedestrians.
The NFL and the players’ union have both issued advisements on the subject, encouraging athletes to avoid posting images of cash, jewelry and watches on social media. Players are also told to install security systems and to hide their valuables.
The impact of these robberies can linger.
As reported by the Sun, Kelce is still ‘really bothered’ by the horrific break-in at his $6million Kansas City mansion last year.
The Chiefs star, who is gearing up for next weekend’s Super Bowl in New Orleans , has spent $9,000 on two guard dogs, installed 10 cameras and new lights and movement detectors at a cost of $40,000, according to The Sun .
Kelce lost $100,000 in jewelry, $20,000 in cash, his first ever Super Bowl jersey and a watch that police found in Providence, Rhode Island in November after the October break-in.
And while the 35-year-old, who is dating Taylor Swift , couldn’t be having things any better on the football field as he bids for an historic Super Bowl ‘three-peat’ next week, he is still troubled by what happened at his home last year.
A source was quoted as described Kelce as ‘still really bothered’, adding: ‘Travis felt the urgency of taking care of this situation as soon as possible. It was very uncomfortable to deal with.
‘Travis decided to do things the best way, investing money on alarms and security personnel and dogs to put himself in the safest situation possible. All he wants is to be safe.
‘Travis’ house is a sanctuary for him and his family and loved ones. He doesn’t want to go through a bad situation like the robbery ever again.’
Burrow moved into the property in Anderson Township, Ohio back in late 2023
Mahomes also had his home broken into the same day.
The NFL has sent a warning to every team that an international crime ring could be behind the break-ins, which have impacted players far beyond the Chiefs. The FBI is also investigating the crime wave.
Kelce has not spoken publicly about the incident, while Mahomes didn’t have much to say himself when he was quizzed about it at a press conference.
‘It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,’ he said. ‘I can’t get into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing.
‘It’s obviously something you don’t want happening to anybody, but especially yourself.’
Kelce purchased his mansion in October 2023, just a month after his relationship with Swift became public news when she watched him play against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium.
At the time, it was reported that Kelce felt uneasy with how accessible his previous home was and felt a need for more privacy.
Police bodycam footage of the moment four Chilean nationals were arrested earlier this month in connection with the recent burglary of Joe Burrow’s $7.5million home has been released
The men – identified as Alexander Chavez, Bastian Morales, Jordan Sanchez and Sergio Cabello – were taken into custody on January 10 following a traffic stop in Ohio
The group was also in possession of Husky automatic center punch tools, which are said to be used regularly by the ‘South American Theft Group’ to ‘break glass and enter into houses’
Footage cuts to a trooper searching the vehicle and he pulls an LSU shirt out of a white bin liner
Kelce’s relationship with Swift also apparently factored into the decision to move house, with the mansion being in a gated community appealing to Kelce for its safety.
The Chiefs fly to New Orleans on Sunday, meaning Kelce will be away from home for about a week.
Victory for the Chiefs over the Philadelphia Eagles will make Kelce and his team the first in the Super Bowl era to win three straight titles.
Burrow had a similarly nerve-wracking experience. He’s said he felt ‘violated’ by the break-in, which was cloaked in mystery after it emerged that the 911 call was made by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Ponton, rather than the quarterback’s longtime partner Olivia Holzmacher.
Ponton – who boasts eight million followers on TikTok – is said to have told officers that she noticed ‘a shattered bedroom window and the room ransacked’ when she arrived at the property.
‘So obviously everybody has heard what has happened,’ Burrow said in a statement after the robbery. ‘I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one. And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share, so that’s all I got to say about that.’
