A Manhattan pawn shop owner has admitted to buying and reselling stolen luxury goods, including watches and high-end jewelry, as part of a cross-country burglary ring that targeted wealthy homeowners. Among the victims is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose home was broken into while he was away for a Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys last December.
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy of New Jersey, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property, according to the Associated Press. Nezhinskiy admitted to knowingly purchasing stolen luxury goods but maintained he was unaware the items had been taken from people’s homes until after his arrest.
“I am very sorry for my actions,” Nezhinskiy said. “Most of my business was completely legitimate, and it was a good business.”
Nezhinskiy faces up to five years in prison, along with restitution and forfeiture totaling more than $2.5 million. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Nezhinskiy, originally from the country of Georgia but legally residing in the U.S., faces not only federal charges but possible deportation, a judge noted during court proceedings.
“This defendant ran a black-market pipeline, buying stolen luxury goods from organized theft crews that targeted homes and businesses,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. “It was a deliberate operation that helped professional burglars prey on innocent people.”
Nezhinskiy co-managed a pawn shop in Manhattan’s renowned Diamond District alongside Juan Villar, who recently pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing. Prosecutors say their business served as a hub for selling stolen goods obtained by international burglary rings targeting elite athletes’ homes across the country.
According to investigators, these crews — largely made up of foreign nationals from South America — conducted thefts while athletes were away for road games. High-profile victims included NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Mike Conley Jr. of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The multi-state probe resulted in six arrests, and although Nezhinskiy and Villar weren’t formally charged with specific burglaries, phone data connects Nezhinskiy to an individual involved in the break-in at Burrow’s residence.
Authorities recovered a vast array of suspected stolen property not only at the pawn shop but also from storage units linked to Nezhinskiy in New Jersey. The haul included luxury handbags, fine wine, sports collectibles, jewelry, artwork, and burglary tools like power drills and devices used to open safes.
Three men previously arrested in connection with a string of burglaries — including one at Burrow’s home — were indicted by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati in February, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. The suspects were identified as Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22; Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23; and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38.
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