The FBI is working with local law enforcement agencies to determine if a recent spate of burglaries at the homes of professional sport stars are connected to a transnational crime ring such as one from South America, two senior law enforcement officials said.
The officials said Wednesday that they have not made any determination as to who exactly is responsible, and the investigation is ongoing. The direction of the case is subject to change, the officials said.
The homes of the pillars of the Kanas City Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, were burglarized only hours apart last month, according to authorities and police reports.
Officers were dispatched to Mahomes' house in Belton, Missouri, about midnight Oct. 6, according to an incident summary from the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
The report did not identify Mahomes, but the address listed matches public records for Super Bowl-winning the quarterback. The report didn't specify whether anything was taken.
TMZ reported a break-in about 10 miles away at Kelce's home in Leawood, Kansas, the next day. Twenty-thousand dollars was taken, according to a police report obtained by NBC affiliate KSHB of Kansas City.
NBC's "TODAY" reported that Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis on Nov. 3 posted a video on Instagram saying his "prized possessions" were stolen from his home during his team's game the day prior.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune also reported in September that thieves broke into the home of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. while he was attending a Minnesota Vikings game.
In a statement to NBC News, the Medina, Minnesota, police department, which is investigating the Conley case, said the agency was collaborating with other departments from different states in high-profile burglaries.
"We are aware of some of the other athletes in different states that have had their homes burglarized," the statement said. "Our investigator is working with those agencies and other state and federal partners. We can't say for sure that they are all related."