Pawn shop owner pleads guilty to buying and selling items stolen from Joe Burrow and other athletes
A pawn shop owner in New York City pleaded guilty to buying and selling luxury items stolen by a nationwide theft ring. Among the victims is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The burglary at Burrow’s property occurred while the player was away from home, participating in a game against the Dallas Cowboys in December. According to an FBI complaint filed in February, in which Burrow was identified as “Athlete 5”, the total value of the stolen items was approximately $300,000. This pattern of burglaries targeting athletes’ homes while they are at public events also affected stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, a resident of North Bergen, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property in federal court in Brooklyn. He admitted to knowingly purchasing stolen property, including high-end watches, jewelry, and handbags. Nezhinskiy faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, restitution of approximately $2.5 million, and the forfeiture of more than $2.5 million. In addition, because he is originally from Georgia and legally resides in the United States, he could face federal charges and the possibility of deportation, according to District Judge William F. Kuntz.Juan Villar, 48 years old and co-administrator of the pawn shop, pleaded guilty in June to the same charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Both men had worked together since 2020 as “fences” to receive and buy stolen goods outside of New York. Villar, a resident of Queens, is also awaiting sentencing. The United States Attorney’s Office reported that South American theft groups were traveling across the United States and selecting homes in affluent neighborhoods, as well as jewelers. The investigation, which involved multiple states, has resulted in six arrests. Nezhinskiy and Villar were not charged with specific robberies. Police searched the pawn shop and storage units owned by Nezhinskiy in New Jersey, finding allegedly stolen goods, including sports memorabilia, artwork, and fine wines, as well as luxury goods, clothing, and “power tools consistent with those commonly used in burglaries and to open safes,” according to the United States Attorney’s Office. Three men arrested in a series of robberies, including the one at Burrow’s house, were indicted in February by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Burrow revealed in the Netflix series “Quarterback”, released this month, that he canceled the purchase of a functional replica of the Batmobile after the robbery at his home. Burrow commented on the program: “I feel very uncomfortable. My life is very public. That comes with the job, but there are certain parts of your life that are yours. Your home is one of them.”This defendant ran a black market pipeline, purchasing stolen luxury goods from organized gangs that targeted homes and businesses. It was a deliberate operation that helped professional thieves prey on innocent people.
Jessica Tisch, New York City Police Commissioner
