NEW YORK — Two men were arrested and charged with running a fencing operation for South American groups that stole from the homes of high-profile athletes, including the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
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Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, of North Bergen, New Jersey, and Juan Villar, 48, of Queens, New York, were indicted after authorities said the pair spent almost five years selling stolen luxury items at their pawn shop after buying them from burglarers, according to the office of John. J. Durham, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
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The men are accused of buying and receiving handbags, jewelry, and other items stolen outside the state of New York.
The pair served as “fences” for the burglary crews based out of South America, according to the office. These crews travel around the United States and steal luxury accessories from “wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors.”
“Phone records and video surveillance links Nezhinskiy to at least two members of a four-man burglary crew believed to be involved in the December 9, 2024 burglary of a high-profile athlete in Ohio, and showed Nezhinskiy in contact with that crew less than one week before the burglary in Ohio,” the office said.
As previously reported by News Center 7, four Chilean nationals were arrested in connection with the burglary that occurred at Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home in December.
A special agent with the Ohio State Highway Patrol spotted suspicious luggage being carried into a vehicle outside of a hotel in Fairborn, Ohio.
Jordan Francisco Sanchez, 22; Alexander Esteban Huaiquil-Chavez, 24; Bastian Alejandro Morales, 23; and Sergio Andres Cabello, 38, were arrested on Jan. 10 after a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Clark County, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
Three of the four men showed troopers fake identification cards.
“After the four male Chileans’ true identifications were learned, all four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstayed their permissions,” investigators wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
An old Louisiana State University (LSU) shirt and Cincinnati Bengals hat were also found in the car. Court records note that the items were believed to be stolen during a burglary in Hamilton County on Dec. 9, 2024. While they have not confirmed if these men are connected to the burglary at Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home, he did attend LSU and his Hamilton County home was broken into on Dec. 9, 2024, according to a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office report.
Body camera released from OSHP shows troopers searching the vehicle and finding the sports memorabilia. They also found a tool used to break into homes inside a hidden compartment inside the glove box.
>> PHOTOS: Items believed to be taken on same day as Joe Burrow home break-in
While authorities were searching Nezhinskiy and Villar’s business, they found several pieces of jewelry and watches that were believed to have been stolen, according to the office.
Law enforcement also found sport memorabilia, high-end bags, artwork, and power tools commonly used to burglarize or open safes.
If convicted of receiving stolen goods, the pair could each face up to 10 years in prison, according to the office.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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