A New York City pawn shop owner has pleaded guilty to buying stolen luxury goods tied to a national burglary ring that targeted athletes, including Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, federal officials announced.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy admitted in Brooklyn federal court on Friday to conspiracy to receive stolen property.
Authorities said Nezhinskiy knowingly purchased high-end watches, handbags, jewelry, and other goods from theft crews that burglarized homes all over the country, including those of Burrows, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Luka Doncic, and Mike Conley Jr.
Nezhinskiy is facing up to five years in prison and must pay approximately $2.5 million in restitution and forfeiture. District Judge William F. Kuntz added that Nezhinskiy is facing federal charges and deportation because he's from the country of Georgia and living in the United States.
"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."
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia added, "For more than five years, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy established a demand for stolen merchandise, which allowed South American Theft Groups to profit from repeated burglaries. His purchases perpetuated a ripple of criminality targeting residences and business across the country."
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that co-defendant Juan Villar co-managed the pawn shop with Nezhinskiy and had worked with him since 2020. Villar pleaded guilty in June to the same charge and is also awaiting sentencing.
The FBI stated that burglars broke into Burrow's residence in December while he was playing a road game against the Dallas Cowboys. Burrow was referred to in court documents as "Athlete 5" and recently spoke about the incident in Netflix's Quarterback docuseries.
"My life is very public," Burrow said on the show. "That comes with the job, but there's certain parts of your life that are yours. Your house is one of those."