Pawn shop owner admits to selling Joe Burrow's stolen property - ESPN

A New York City pawn shop owner has pleaded guilty to buying and selling luxury items stolen by a national burglary crew whose victims include Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York.

Burrow was playing a road game in December against the Dallas Cowboys when items were stolen from his home. An FBI complaint unsealed in February, identifying Burrow only as «Athlete 5,» listed the total value of items stolen at around $300,000.

The pattern of athletes' homes being burglarized while they were publicly scheduled elsewhere includes Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and NBA stars Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The pawn shop owner, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, of North Bergen, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property in a Brooklyn federal court. He admitted knowingly purchasing stolen property, including high-end watches, jewelry and handbags.

Nezhinskiy, whose sentencing date has not been determined, faces a maximum of five years in prison and restitution of approximately $2.5 million and forfeiture of more than $2.5 million. In addition, because he is from the country of Georgia while legally residing in the United States, Nezhinskiy faces federal charges and the possibility of deportation, District Judge William F. Kuntz said.

«This defendant ran a black-market pipeline, buying stolen luxury goods from organized theft crews that targeted homes and businesses,» New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement Friday. «It was a deliberate operation that helped professional burglars prey on innocent people.»

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