Pawnbrokers raided in connection with Joe Burrow burglary denied bail days before the Super Bowl
NEW YORK (AP) — Two owners of a New York City pawnshop that was raided by the FBI in connection with an investigation into a burglary at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow were denied bail Friday, with a federal judge saying it would be “ironic” to release the men just two days before the Super Bowl.
“No thank you. This is one Super Bowl Defendants will have to watch from the sidelines,” U.S. District Court Judge William Kuntz wrote in his decision ordering Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar held until their August trial date. “They will not be players this weekend.”
FBI agents on Tuesday swept into the men's pawnshop in Manhattan's Diamond District, an area that is a little more than a city block but is home to more than 2,600 jewelers and serves as a conduit for a majority of the diamonds that enter the United States.
Prosecutors said a cache of suspected stolen property was found at the pawnshop and storage units in New Jersey belonging to Nezhinskiy. The shop, prosecutors said, served as a fencing operation that provided an “essential market” for stolen goods that encouraged burglary crews to target wealthy homes around the country.
Nezhinskiy and Villar haven't been charged in connection with specific robberies, but prosecutors in New York said phone records link Nezhinskiy to one of the men charged with ransacking Burrow's house while he was playing in a game last year.
The men charged in the burglary took photos of themselves flashing some of the spoils, which included jewelry, watches, designer luggage and glasses. One even wore necklaces with pendants showing the number 9 and “JB9,” Burrow’s jersey number.
That break-in followed other robberies targeting other big-name American athletes.
Among the high-end homes hit by international robbery crews were those of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, who are vying for their third straight title when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in New Orleans.
Prosecutors say the thieves also plundered luxury items from the homes of Luka Doncic of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, and Mike Conley Jr. of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The investigation into the brazen burglaries has spanned several states and led to at least six arrests, though it's unclear whether there are any links between those thefts.
Prosecutors say the crews, consisting of foreign nationals from South America, mostly hit the homes while athletes were out of town, including when competing with their teams on road games.
Nezhinskiy’s lawyer said he would immediately appeal the decision to jail his 43-year-old client, a Georgian national who lives in New Jersey.
A magistrate judge had earlier set bail at $1 million secured by two family properties in New Jersey and $150,000 in cash.
“The family is extremely upset with this change of events,” Todd Greenberg said after the hearing. “They expect him to be home to fight this case.”
Villar’s lawyer said he was also considering an appeal.
“It’s alarming,” Lauriano Guzman said, noting his 48-year-old client, who lives in New York City, had been released less than 24 hours earlier after having posted $500,000 bail.
The lawyers had pushed back at the suggestion from prosecutors that the crimes their clients were charged with were violent.
Prosecutors argued the two, who have pleaded not guilty to stolen property charges, had lengthy criminal records, posed a danger to the community and were flight risks.
“Their conduct promotes the victimizing of individuals in their homes and endangering communities on a large scale,” prosecutors wrote in legal filings. “This conduct was not isolated, instead, it has been ongoing for years.”
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