Athletes are forced to play defense as burglars score big inside their homes

The burglars who targeted the home of Bobby Portis Jr. in West Allis, Wisconsin, didn't need sophisticated technology to know that the Milwaukee Bucks forward would be away Nov. 2. All they had to do was look up the Bucks' game schedule. The hard part was figuring out how to get past any home security system Portis probably had installed, given that highly paid professional athletes are tops on the target list of criminal gangs these days.

Burglars going after the big stars are employing levels of technological sophistication far beyond the brutish smash-and-grab methods used in typical home burglaries. Surveillance video that Portis posted on Instagram showed the invaders wearing hoods and masks, which helped hide their faces. They also appeared to be wearing hazmat-style protective suits, which hid other identifying features -- and possibly helped ensure they left no DNA for police to trace.

Their methods, like others in the recent spate of burglaries, were clean, sterile. They appeared to have mapped out the house layout and studied their victims far in advance. The only sounds on the video are of a power tool and some muffled conversation involving Spanish phrases.

"Aténtelo," one person appears to say. "Go for it."

The burglars in Portis' case might not have been connected to those who last week entered the home of the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic, or Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in December, the Dallas Stars' Tyler Seguin in November, the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in October, or the Minnesota Timberwolves' Mike Conley Jr. in September.

In fact, several law enforcement officials said they've seen nothing to establish a link among these incidents. But the rash of high-dollar burglaries has borne a consistently high quality of tradecraft that is confounding law enforcers about the perpetrators' identities and boosting concerns among athletes and top officials of professional sports organizations. Athletes and team officials contacted by ESPN cited heightened security concerns to justify speaking without attribution.

Many players feel "angst when you go on the road," one NFL coach told ESPN. "You're asking them to perform in a high-performance job, and then you want peace of mind that you're not there and your family is safe, that you're not exposed and stuff that guys have worked for, their valuables or property is taken care of."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters that pro athletes are now coming to grips with the consequences of fame and the fact "that others can look up and just see how much we make or maybe an address, and that puts us subject to a target. ... I think for anybody across the league, or anybody of celebrity status, I guess you could say, it's unfortunate but, yeah, we have to take and do what's necessary to protect us and our family."

In social media posts, Portis said that "most of my prized possessions" were stolen. An indication of their value was in his offer of a $40,000 cash reward for information leading to the stolen items' return, with a guarantee of anonymity.

About $23,000 worth of "jewelry and precious metals" was taken from Doncic's house, according to a Dallas police report. Doncic's business manager told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that the Mavericks point guard and his family were not home when the burglary happened.

"They are not targeting poor people. They are targeting rich, famous billionaires. Sports stars," said Kent Moyer, who runs the World Protection Group security firm. "It is very easy for a bad guy to find out where you live."

Finding where a prominent athlete lives often can be as easy as searching publicly available records online. Doncic's home address, for example, came up in a simple Google search.

"When you see somebody on television and realize they're not home, does that open up potential?" NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during a December league meeting.

"So, yes, there are things that all of us can do to take precautions -- and should do," he said.

The NFL, NBA and NHL recently issued warnings to players about the elevated risks. The FBI says some break-ins match the profile of transnational criminal groups the agency has been monitoring. The FBI issued a warning to pro sports leagues about the uptick in activity, saying the houses of at least nine athletes have experienced break-ins this fall, ABC News reported. The FBI did not reference any specific incident in the warning cited by ABC.

From a criminal perspective, one of the most attractive elements of such athletes is their tendency to put their wealth on display for all to see: expensive sports cars, jewelry, clothing and lavish accommodations. The potential of nabbing large amounts of cash is another big draw. Burglars made off with $20,000 from Kelce's home in October.

Many of the targeted athletes have the means to afford high-powered security systems, floor safes, safe rooms and even drones with thermal imaging cameras, one security expert told ESPN. Not everyone takes the experts' advice, however, and criminal groups' entire motive is to thwart whatever security precautions are already in place.

In the video Portis posted on Instagram, the sound of a power tool accompanies a hazy image of a person removing a panel next to the front door. Experts say burglars in such cases apparently have figured out how to use jamming devices to shut down Wi-Fi signals and interrupt security systems, buying them enough time to grab what they're after before quietly slinking away.

ESPN reached out to local law enforcement agencies where break-ins have occurred that fit this profile, including those of high-profile athletes. Many declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations. The FBI declined comment.

Although athletes in the Los Angeles area have yet to report incidents during the current spate, the Los Angeles Police Department has experience with organized theft rings and provided insight into how such groups work.

Some burglars have placed hidden cameras in shrubbery to secretly monitor the targeted person's schedule, according to LAPD officers who investigate theft rings. They might use open areas such as a golf course for surveillance.

The NFL warned in a bulletin to players and coaches that burglars gather "information on victims through public records, media reports and social media" using surveillance tactics that include disguising themselves as home delivery or maintenance personnel. They might even dress as neighborhood joggers. The NBA's memo cited the possible use of advanced surveillance technology, including drones.

When the opportunity is right, they get in and out quickly. At a maximum, they stay "maybe 10,15 minutes," said Capt. Francis Boateng, of LAPD's commercial crimes division.

The LAPD created a task force to investigate transnational burglary rings several years ago. It expanded the unit in the past year after "an explosion in these types of crimes," Boateng said. LAPD officers said they have investigated celebrity and athlete home break-ins but declined to provide specifics, citing privacy concerns. The LAPD said it is in discussions with the Los Angeles Rams about a possible offseason seminar to update players and coaches about crime trends and security best practices.

Even if they aren't linked to each other, transnational theft groups operating around the country appear to follow certain patterns, law enforcement officials said. One common trait is that they seem to avoid confrontation, deliberately choosing times when the house is unoccupied. They tend to favor goods that are easily fenced.

The NBA and NFL warnings obtained by ESPN described the people behind the recent spate of burglaries as "organized and skilled groups" that use advanced technology. The NBA advisory said league security was briefed by the FBI.

One veteran NBA player told ESPN he had been concerned about this type of crime his entire career because of "horror stories" he has heard in the past. "It's a little unnerving, a little unsettling," the player said. "Especially if you have family and if you have kids and all that stuff."

The danger, he added, "makes it even more exponential, more emphasized on how scary it can be."

THE FIRST NFL AND NBA warnings closely followed the break-ins at the homes of Mahomes, Kelce, Portis and Conley. The FBI declined to confirm or deny to ESPN whether the athlete burglaries have prompted a federal investigation.

The NHL Players' Association told ESPN it has been in communication with its members about the burglaries, and the NHL said it speaks regularly with teams about player-related security issues.

The MLS Players Association declined to comment, and the MLB Players Association told ESPN it employs a full-time security director "with law enforcement contacts across the U.S. and internationally."

"SCARY" IS THE WORD that keeps popping up when professional athletes and coaches are asked to describe the effects of the break-ins. Personal safety and security concerns can add to the psychological stresses already at play.

The NFL coach said that in recent years he has hired security to sit outside his home when he traveled on scheduled road trips. He made sure to not publicize where he lived as another layer of precaution.

Each NFL team devotes at least one meeting a year to discuss best safety practices. The coach said, however, "There needs to be more visible resources or reminders" for players and other staffers.

Multiple NFL players said they have been offered help with home security systems, a resource the NFL provides. Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London said that when he was a rookie he was advised on what neighborhoods to live in and informed about crime rates by the team.

Former NFL fullback Keith Smith, who played for the Falcons, Cowboys and Raiders in his career, said every team "briefs you on things to look out for, just to be vigilant with giving your whereabouts and your plans on public mediums." Although he has not experienced a break-in, Smith said he has seen people try to pull on car doors in his driveway.

Sometimes, a break-in might be a case of random victimhood rather than an association with stardom. Sarah Jane Ramos, fiancée of the Cowboys' Prescott, had $40,000 worth of cash and items stolen from her car while she was in a Pilates class last week -- although Dallas television station WFAA reported that Ramos acknowledged leaving her car door unlocked. Prescott was emphatic that he didn't believe his fiancée's case was related to the other break-ins.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff told the Detroit Free Press that his home was burglarized his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 while he was at a game. He wasn't playing at the time, so it didn't make national news, but it changed his approach.

"It's violating," Goff told the newspaper. "So ever since then, when I'm on the road, there's people there."

Burrow told reporters he felt his "privacy has been violated in more ways than one" following the 2024 break-in at his home. It put him in an uncomfortable position where more information was out there about his personal life than he would have preferred.

The house of then-Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was burglarized while he played in a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. A domestic burglary ring in Atlanta was also reported to have targeted singer Mariah Carey and Atlanta United goalie Brad Guzan. Ridley's losses exceeded $100,000.

Nearly two years later, he wrote about the traumatic experience in The Players Tribune. The security camera video was so shocking, Ridley wrote, that his wife no longer wanted to be alone in the house.

"We were supposed to go play in London, and I just couldn't leave them," Ridley wrote. "That's when I finally broke down and told the team that I needed help."

The NBA player who spoke anonymously to ESPN said he believes there's a public misperception about athletes somehow being immune to the pressures such dangers create. "It's not something that, just because we're in the NBA or we make a lot of money, that this doesn't affect us at all," the player said. "The fact that people are in your home going through things that are personal, you have kids around. ... It hits home no matter who it is, and we're not excluded from that."

IF THE ATHLETES want to better protect themselves, they might have to invest in the same kinds of technology the burglars are employing. And it doesn't come cheap.

Kenneth Bombace, chief executive officer of the private security firm Global Threat Solutions, said a good alarm system with central station monitoring, high-resolution cameras with night vision and even a barking dog can help. In the past, Bombace has offered clients cameras with artificial intelligence and facial recognition. "Nothing is 100%" burglar-proof, but it can assist, he said. For example, "dogs, they can be drugged, bribed with food, unfortunately, even killed, by a determined burglar."

Moyer said round-the-clock security can begin around $500,000 a year for home and personal protection. His process starts with a risk-vulnerability assessment, followed by options for state-of-the-art technology to help thwart the burglars' state-of-the-art technology. Background checks on home workers, associates and even friends can add another security layer.

Bombace said that contractors working on the property might actually be gathering information about the layout and vulnerabilities to be exploited. To avoid having the athlete's name on a public property registry, some now purchase homes under trusts or limited liability companies.

Moyer recommended erasing public records of home addresses and even suggested using untraceable cellphones and email aliases. "You pay a security guy to be paranoid for you," Moyer said. "They don't have to be paranoid. They don't have to change [their] lifestyle, just other than listening to the security professionals to create what I would consider an anonymous lifestyle so it never happens again."