By PHILIP MARCELO
NEW YORK (AP) — Two homeowners of a New York Metropolis pawnshop that was raided by the FBI in reference to an investigation right into a housebreaking on the residence of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow have been denied bail Friday, with a federal decide saying it could be “ironic” to launch the lads simply two days earlier than the Tremendous Bowl.
“No thanks. That is one Tremendous Bowl Defendants must watch from the sidelines,” U.S. District Court docket Choose William Kuntz wrote in his choice ordering Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar held till their August trial date. “They won’t be gamers this weekend.”
FBI brokers on Tuesday swept into the lads’s pawnshop in Manhattan’s Diamond District, an space that is a bit more than a metropolis block however is residence to greater than 2,600 jewelers and serves as a conduit for a majority of the diamonds that enter the US.
Prosecutors mentioned a cache of suspected stolen property was discovered on the pawnshop and storage items in New Jersey belonging to Nezhinskiy. The store, prosecutors mentioned, served as a fencing operation that offered an “important market” for stolen items that inspired housebreaking crews to focus on rich properties across the nation.
Nezhinskiy and Villar haven’t been charged in reference to particular robberies, however prosecutors in New York mentioned cellphone information hyperlink Nezhinskiy to one of many males charged with ransacking Burrow’s home whereas he was taking part in in a sport final yr.
The lads charged within the housebreaking took pictures of themselves flashing among the spoils, which included jewellery, watches, designer baggage and glasses. One even wore necklaces with pendants exhibiting the quantity 9 and “JB9,” Burrow’s jersey quantity.
That break-in adopted different robberies focusing on different big-name American athletes.
Among the many high-end properties hit by worldwide theft crews have been these of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight finish Travis Kelce of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, who’re vying for his or her third straight title once they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in New Orleans.
Prosecutors say the thieves additionally plundered luxurious gadgets from the properties 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 a number of states and led to a minimum of six arrests, although it’s unclear whether or not there are any hyperlinks between these thefts.
Prosecutors say the crews, consisting of overseas nationals from South America, largely hit the properties whereas athletes have been out of city, together with when competing with their groups on street video games.
Nezhinskiy’s lawyer mentioned he would instantly attraction the choice to jail his 43-year-old consumer, a Georgian nationwide who lives in New Jersey.
A Justice of the Peace decide had earlier set bail at $1 million secured by two household properties in New Jersey and $150,000 in money.
“The household is extraordinarily upset with this transformation of occasions,” Todd Greenberg mentioned after the listening to. “They anticipate him to be residence to struggle this case.”
Villar’s lawyer mentioned he was additionally contemplating an attraction.
“It’s alarming,” Lauriano Guzman mentioned, noting his 48-year-old consumer, who lives in New York Metropolis, had been launched lower than 24 hours earlier after having posted $500,000 bail.
The legal professionals had pushed again on the suggestion from prosecutors that the crimes their shoppers have been charged with have been violent.
Prosecutors argued the 2, who’ve pleaded not responsible to stolen property expenses, had prolonged prison information, posed a hazard to the neighborhood and have been flight dangers.
“Their conduct promotes the victimizing of people of their properties and endangering communities on a big scale,” prosecutors wrote in authorized filings. “This conduct was not remoted, as an alternative, it has been ongoing for years.”
Comply with Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
Initially Revealed: