Two men are expected to appear in court in Downtown Brooklyn today, after their arrests in connection with a series of high-profile burglaries at the homes of professional athletes.
As reported by ABC7NY, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, and Juan Villar, 48, were arrested following FBI raids along the Diamond District, amid allegations of a fencing operation with ties to South American theft groups. Nezhinskiy was arrested Tuesday in New Jersey, and Villar, in Manhattan. "As alleged, the defendants created an illicit market and fueled demand for burglaries by South American Theft Groups and other crews around the country, by purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items, and then re-selling them in their New York City store," U.S. Attorney John Durham explained.
In a coordinated effort between the FBI and NYPD, the raids resulted in the seizure of large quantities of suspected stolen property, including high-end watches, jewelry, and cash, along with marijuana. The crackdown comes as part of an investigation that looks into a potential link between recent burglaries of star athletes’ homes and this New York fencing operation.
According to a NBC New York report, the indictment charges that Nezhinskiy and Villar conspired to traffic stolen goods from out of state for sale at their store. "The defendants created an illicit market and fueled demand for burglaries by South American Theft Groups and other crews around the country by purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items, and then re-selling them in their New York City store," Durham said.
Furthermore, authorities have linked the two men to at least two members of a four-man burglary crew believed to be involved in a December 9, 2024, break-in at the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's Ohio residence. Undercover operations by law enforcement, which spanned from October 2022 to January 2024, involved controlled sales of items presented as stolen, leading to concrete evidence against Nezhinskiy and Villar. The ongoing investigation has officials wary of additional arrests, particularly in Florida, where they are currently eyeing a South American transnational theft group suspected of targeting NFL and NBA players, as well as other wealthy individuals.
With the sports world on high alert following advisories from the NFL and NBA about the break-ins, which have occurred often when players were away with their teams, the narrative of this criminal enterprise is unfolding under scrutiny. High-profile victims have included NBA star Luka Doncic and NFL luminaries Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, among others. If convicted of the charges leveled against them, Nezhinskiy and Villar could each face up to 10 years in prison.
