A federal grand jury in Cincinnati has charged defendants believed to be operating as part of a South American Theft Group with transporting stolen goods interstate and falsifying records in a federal investigation.
The three men allegedly committed the December 9, 2024, burglary at the home of a local NFL player.
A federal complaint was filed on February 3, and the indictment was returned today, charging Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, all of Chile.
“Our investigation remains ongoing as these individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg of South American Theft Groups committing crimes throughout our district and elsewhere,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
South American Theft Groups have been a major concern in the Cincinnati area, said FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost explained that the Ohio Organised Crime Investigations Commission was created for – and excels at – these types of complex, multi-jurisdictional cases.
According to charging documents, law enforcement responded to the NFL player’s home around 8:14 p.m. on December 9, 2024, in reference to a reported burglary.
An associate of the homeowner had been dropped off at the residence shortly after 8:00 p.m. and discovered rooms were unusually messy, and a primary bedroom window on the back side of the home had been broken.
It is believed the burglary likely occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The homeowner was away from his residence playing in an NFL game in Dallas. During a security detail shift change at the home at approximately 6:00 p.m., security personnel walked the perimeter of the house, and no windows appeared to be broken at that time.
Continued investigation at the Cincinnati home led investigators to discover a trail camera image of a man carrying luggage and walking through the wooded area behind the home.
Law enforcement tracked the subjects in various states following the burglary and subsequently located the vehicle at the La Quinta hotel on University Boulevard in Fairborn. The Ohio State Highway Patrol later stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation.
Phone analysis shows Cabello allegedly deleted photographs of the stolen goods and the back of the victim’s home during the traffic stop with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, thus falsifying records in a federal investigation.
Additional cell phone analysis revealed other photos of the defendants in southeast Florida days after the burglary with luxury luggage and wearing the stolen jewellery.
Also in the car with the defendants were punch tools to break glass, as well as an old Louisiana State University shirt and a Cincinnati Bengals hat believed to be taken from the victim’s home.
The men were taken into local custody during the traffic stop.
Interstate transportation of stolen property is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Falsification of records in a federal investigation carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The three men were previously charged locally, but those state charges remain pending.
