19-02-2025
Federal charges filed in burglary of Milwaukee Bucks Bobby Portis, other athletes
Seven men are facing federal charges in the robbery of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. and other high-profile professional athletes.
The men are accused of comprising a Chilean South American theft group and stealing nearly $3 million in property from six athletes, including Portis, according to a court document made publicly available on Tuesday. The men are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property in a federal court in Tampa, Florida.
If convicted, the charges carry up to 10 years in prison.
The complaint references the Nov. 2 burglary of Portis home — with his stolen belongings valued at $1.484 million — along with those of other players for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Memphis Grizzlies. The burglaries took place between October and December, according to the complaint.
The complaint did not name the players targeted; however, it was previously reported that homes of the star athletes Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow were among those robbed.
Law enforcement relied on cell phone data to identify the alleged thieves and reviewed photos showing three of the accused men posing with high-value watches, a damaged safe and other jewelry. In that photo, Pablo Cartes, one of the men, is seen wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt, according to the complaint.
Four more men were arrested earlier this year in a traffic stop. Police found fraudulent identifications and burglary tools in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
The charges follow an FBI warning from earlier this year, when the law enforcement organization warned professional sports leagues about burglars targeting players homes. That followed at least nine burglaries of athletes — though the complaint filed this week references only six robberies.
In November, Portis posted on social media about the burglary to his home and asked for help. The longtime Buck offered a reward for any information that would lead to recovery of his belongings or arrests of the suspects.
"I consider Milwaukee my home," he wrote. "Last night, while I was at work, my home was burglarized, and many of my prized possessions were stolen.'
The men named in the complaint are:
Pablo Zuniga Cartes
Ignacio Zuniga Cartes
Bastian Jimenez Freraut
Jordan Quiroga Sanchez
Bastian Orellano Morales
Alexander Huiaguil Chavez
Sergio Ortego Cabello
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Charges filed in robbery of Milwaukee Bucks Bobby Portis
