People are being held accountable.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had his home burglarized in December of 2024 while he was playing against the Dallas Cowboys. Burrow was the latest victim of a crime spree that was targeting professional athletes across the country.
Three men were later arrested for the break-in, but we recently learned of another party involved in the selling of Burrow’s property.
Dimitriy Nezhenskiy, a pawn shop owner from North Bergen, N.J., pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York. Juan Villar, the co-owner of the pawn shop, pleaded guilty to the same charge in June.
They have both admitted to knowingly purchasing high-end stolen items such as jewelry and handbags and acting as a “fence” for the burglars to turn the stolen items into cash.
“For more than five years, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy established a demand for stolen merchandise, which allowed South American Theft Groups to profit from repeated burglaries,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia said via The New York Post. “His purchases perpetuated a ripple of criminality targeting residences and businesses across the country.”
The three men charged with breaking in to Burrow’s house were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury back in February, and now, the two assisting them in moving the stolen goods have admitted to their role.
