Chilean National Pleads Guilty in Multistate Burglaries Targeting Athletes’ Homes
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A federal judge in Tennessee accepted a guilty plea Wednesday from Alexander Esteban Huaiquil Chavez, who admitted to interstate transportation of stolen property tied to a 2024 burglary spree that hit the residences of high-profile athletes such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow, according to court documents.
The plea marks the first significant courtroom action in months involving the theft ring. Prosecutors say Huaiquil Chavez belonged to a group of Chilean nationals that traveled across the United States stealing cash, jewelry, weapons and luxury items from athletes’ homes.
The Tennessee charge stems from a Dec. 19, 2024 break-in at Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s house. Listed in filings as “Professional Athlete 6,” Morant was playing against the Golden State Warriors when thieves removed roughly $1 million in watches, jewelry and designer bags.
Under the agreement, both sides recommended a two-year prison term. Sentencing is set for June 11, and either party may withdraw if the court rejects the deal. Prosecutors asked that Huaiquil Chavez receive the maximum credit for accepting responsibility, contingent on truthful cooperation and no new crimes.
Huaiquil Chavez and three co-defendants—Sergio Andres Cabello, Bastian Alejandro Morales and Jordan Francisco Sanchez—were indicted in Tennessee in May 2025. All four were arrested in Ohio on Jan. 10, 2025 after a traffic stop of a black 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer with Florida plates, where officers recovered fake IDs and burglary tools.
Cabello, Morales and Sanchez also face charges in Ohio for the Dec. 9, 2024 burglary of Burrow’s home while the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback played the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football.” Investigators cited cell-tower data, rental-car records and iCloud photos of stolen watches to link the men to the crime. Their next status conference is scheduled for May 5 as plea discussions continue.
A February 2025 federal complaint filed in Florida connects the crew to additional burglaries at the homes of Mahomes and Kelce, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and an unnamed Tampa Bay Buccaneers player. Authorities say the group used disposable phones, monitored public game schedules to pick times when athletes were away and typically entered from wooded or dark areas after breaking windows or prying doors.
Portis later released security video showing hooded intruders in hazmat-style suits inside his Wisconsin residence, where Spanish phrases and the sound of a power tool could be heard.
The FBI has warned major sports leagues that at least nine professional athletes were victimized in 2024. The NFL, NBA and NHL subsequently alerted players to heightened security risks. Separate burglaries involving Luka Doncic, Tyler Seguin and Mike Conley Jr. were not included in the federal complaint.
Source: ESPN
