02/07/25 04:15:00
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02/07 16:13 CST Pawnbrokers raided in connection with Joe Burrow burglary
denied bail days before the Super Bowl
Pawnbrokers raided in connection with Joe Burrow burglary denied bail days
before the Super Bowl
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Two owners of a New York City pawnshop that was raided by the
FBI in connection with an investigation into a burglary at the home of
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow were denied bail Friday, with a
federal judge saying it would be "ironic" to release the men just two days
before the Super Bowl.
"No thank you," said U.S. District Court Judge William Kuntz as he ordered
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar held until their August trial date. "This
is one Super Bowl they'll have to sit on the sidelines for."
FBI agents on Tuesday swept into the men's pawnshop in Manhattan's Diamond
District, an area that is a little more than a city block but is home to more
than 2,600 jewelers and serves as a conduit for a majority of the diamonds that
enter the United States.
Prosecutors said a cache of suspected stolen property was found at the pawnshop
and storage units in New Jersey belonging to Nezhinskiy. The shop, prosecutors
said, served as a fencing operation that provided an "essential market" for
stolen goods that encouraged burglary crews to target wealthy homes around the
country.
Nezhinskiy and Villar haven't been charged in connection with specific
robberies, but prosecutors in New York said phone records link Nezhinskiy to
one of the men charged with ransacking Burrow's house while he was playing in a
game last year.
The men charged in the burglary took photos of themselves flashing some of the
spoils, which included jewelry, watches, designer luggage and glasses. One even
wore necklaces with pendants showing the number 9 and "JB9," Burrow's jersey
number.
That break-in followed other robberies targeting other big-name American
athletes.
Among the high-end homes hit by international robbery crews were those of NFL
quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City
Chiefs, who are vying for their third straight title when they face the
Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in New Orleans.
Prosecutors say the thieves also plundered luxury items from the homes of Luka
Doncic of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, and Mike Conley Jr. of the Minnesota
Timberwolves.
The investigation into the brazen burglaries has spanned several states and led
to at least six arrests, though it's unclear whether there are any links
between those thefts.
Prosecutors say the crews, consisting of foreign nationals from South America,
mostly hit the homes while athletes were out of town, including when competing
with their teams on road games.
Nezhinskiy's lawyer said he would immediately appeal the decision to jail his
43-year-old client, a Georgian national who lives in New Jersey.
A magistrate judge had earlier set bail at $1 million secured by two family
properties in New Jersey and $150,000 in cash.
"The family is extremely upset with this change of events," Todd Greenberg said
after the hearing. "They expect him to be home to fight this case."
Villar's lawyer said he was also considering an appeal.
"It's alarming," Lauriano Guzman said, noting his 48-year-old client, who lives
in New York City, had been released less than 24 hours earlier after having
posted $500,000 bail.
The lawyers had pushed back at the suggestion from prosecutors that the crimes
their clients were charged with were violent.
Prosecutors argued the two, who have pleaded not guilty to stolen property
charges, had lengthy criminal records, posed a danger to the community and were
flight risks.
"Their conduct promotes the victimizing of individuals in their homes and
endangering communities on a large scale," prosecutors wrote in legal filings.
"This conduct was not isolated, instead, it has been ongoing for years."
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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
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