Joe Burrow's home got robbed and the pawn shop owner just pleaded guilty
You think you're safe at home while you're out throwing touchdowns? Not if you're Joe Burrow. Turns out, while the Bengals QB was doing his thing in Dallas last December, a crew of international thieves was breaking into his home and walking off with high-end watches, jewelry, and more.
But here's the twist: the loot ended up in a Manhattan pawn shop. And now, the man who bought and sold it all just pled guilty.
Yep, a New York City pawn shop owner is at the center of a massive federal case after he was caught fencing stolen luxury goods, many from Burrow's home. It's not just a robbery story.
The pawn shop owner admitted he bought stolen luxury goods tied to a national burglary ring
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, just pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to conspiring to receive stolen property and the items in question? High-end luxury watches, designer bags, and jewelry taken from some of the biggest names in sports.
According to federal prosecutors, Nezhinskiy knowingly bought these items from an international theft crew, one that specifically targeted pro athletes while they were away playing games. Burrow's home was burglarized while he was in Dallas for a Bengals game in December 2024. And the guy buying his stuff was sitting pretty behind a Manhattan storefront.
Nezhinskiy didn't act alone. He and business partner Juan Villar ran the fencing operation out of their pawn shop and New Jersey storage units.
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Villar pled guilty earlier in June.
This was no random smash-and-grab, it was a slick, international theft operation
The burglary of Burrow's home wasn't isolated. Prosecutors say the same crew hit homes belonging to
Patrick Mahomes
,
Travis Kelce
, Luka Dončić, and Mike Conley. These weren't amateurs. This was a South American-based criminal ring that timed their robberies to games, using high-tech tools to break into mansions while players were out on the field.
The pawn shop duo's role? They provided a black market pipeline for the stolen goods, quickly flipping designer items for profit and laundering the inventory through pawn shop sales and private resellers.
When the FBI raided the shop and storage units earlier this year, they recovered a trove of goods: everything from fine wine and luxury watches to handbags and even sports memorabilia.
Joe Burrow called the burglary deeply personal and 'unsettling' on Netflix's Quarterback
Burrow opened up about the break-in on the Netflix docuseries
Quarterback
, saying:
'I just get very uncomfortable… Your house is one of those [things].'
His tone said it all: this wasn't just about missing items, it was about trust, safety, and the sense of being watched.
Nezhinskiy faces up to five years in prison, $2.5 million in restitution, and the forfeiture of assets. He could also be deported, depending on final rulings. His business partner is already awaiting sentencing, and prosecutors say this is just the beginning. Multiple arrests have already been made in the wider burglary ring, and more indictments are expected.
The case has put a spotlight on just how vulnerable high-profile athletes are when they travel and how professional these crime rings have become.
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