Some crimes are very difficult to solve. Some aren’t.
The seven members of a Chilean gang who found themselves facing federal charges earlier this week in connection with burglaries at the homes of multiple pro athletes were brought down in part by taking selfies with their loot.
Via Tod Robberson of ESPN.com, a 20-page affidavit attached to the criminal complaint and unsealed earlier this week explains that three of the alleged burglars appear in photos taken with watches apparently stolen from NBA player Bobby Portis Jr. The photos were uploaded to a secure Apple iCloud account. Authorities secured access to it through a search warrant.
The Portis burglary resulted in the theft of property worth $1.48 million.
The FBI also used higher-tech methods in cracking the case, including license-plate reader data and cell phone tower data that matched one or more of the defendants’ phones with cars they had rented.
To date, arrests have been made of both alleged burglars and two alleged fences in the New York/New Jersey area. The first wave of apprehensions has been called the “tip of the iceberg.” It remains to be seen how big it is, and how deep it goes.
