2 men arrested in New York’s Diamond District in connection to spate of burglaries, including of NFL star’s home

By Lex Harvey, Eric Levenson and Nicki Brown, CNN

(CNN) — The FBI raided a pawn shop in New York City’s Diamond District and charged two men with conspiring to receive stolen goods in connection with a spate of burglaries, authorities said Tuesday, including one reportedly targeting NFL star Joe Burrow’s home.

The suspects, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar, are accused of creating an illicit market by purchasing stolen items such as jewelry, watches and handbags from South American theft groups and burglary crews, according to an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York.

They were indicted on charges of conspiracy to receive stolen property and three counts of receiving stolen property connected to incidents dating from November 2020.

“As alleged, the defendants created an illicit market and fueled demand for burglaries by South American Theft Groups and other crews around the country by purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items, and then re-selling them in their New York City store,” US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York John J. Durham said in a statement.

In particular, phone records and video surveillance allegedly link Nezhinskiy to 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,” federal prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday.

CNN previously reported Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s house in Anderson Township, Ohio, was broken into on December 9 while he was away playing the Dallas Cowboys in Texas.

Federal investigators recently warned professional athletes in the NFL, NBA and NHL that organized, international groups were targeting their homes while they played games in other cities. In October, the homes of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were burglarized, and other robberies have targeted the NBA’s Luka Doncic, Mike Conley Jr. and Bobby Portis.

“These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash,” the FBI said in a December 20 bulletin obtained by CNN that was distributed to US professional athletic associations.

Four Chilean men were arrested in connection with the burglary of a string of multimillion-dollar homes, including one on the date Burrow’s home was burgled, though Burrow was not explicitly mentioned in the police report.

Defendants accused of “fencing” operation

Authorities accused Nezhinskiy and Villar of carrying out a “fencing” operation, a term for accepting stolen goods in order to sell them for profit.

Police raided Nezhinskiy and Villar’s pawn shop on Manhattan’s 47th Street and seized “large quantities” of suspected stolen goods, including dozens of watches and jewelry, as well as large quantities of cash and marijuana, prosecutors said.

Police also searched Nezhinskiy’s storage units, where they found luxury goods and clothing such as high-end handbags, wine, sports memorabilia, jewelry, artwork and power tools “consistent with those commonly used in burglaries and opening safes,” the statement said.

Nezhinskiy and Villar conspired to receive and purchase stolen property between 2020 and 2025, the indictment says.

“Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as ‘fences’ for burglary crews based out of South America who traveled around the United States committing burglaries, typically targeting wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors, and stealing luxury accessories,” the statement said.

Evidence allegedly links Nezhinskiy and Villar to crimes committed by one “prolific burglar,” who police say stole from at least 16 homes across the US in 2019 and 2020.

In addition, an undercover detective conducted seven controlled sales of purported stolen property to Nezhinskiy or Villar, or both, between October 2022 and January 2024, according to prosecutors. In each case, the detective presented stolen goods and received cash in exchange, according to prosecutors.

If convicted, the men face up to 10 years in prison. The two are expected to be arraigned Wednesday, and CNN is working to determine their legal representation.

In a court filing, prosecutors asked the judge to detain Nezhinskiy and Villar ahead of their trial, saying they posed a danger to the public and were flight risks.

Nezhinskiy, 43, is a Georgian national and has been subject to a final order of removal since 2003, but cannot be returned to his home country, according to a prosecution letter in support of pretrial detention. He has been convicted of disorderly conduct, larceny and robbery, according to the court document.

Villar, 48, is a US citizen living in Queens who has been convicted of assault in connection to a burglary, according to the document.

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