4 Charged in String of Burglaries at Luxury Homes in Ohio

Four Chilean men were arrested this month in connection with a string of burglaries at multimillion-dollar homes in Ohio after a traffic stop in which the authorities found what appeared to be items taken from the residence of the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.The four men were indicted on Tuesday on state charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and participating in a criminal gang.They were arrested as part of a larger federal investigation into burglaries by South American crime groups at multimillion-dollar homes across the country, according to an affidavit prepared by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Several occurred at the homes of well-known professional athletes.So far, according to the affidavit, investigators across the country “have arrested at least six different South American burglary groups, five of which were Chilean nationals.”In the Ohio case, the four men — Jordan Francisco Sanchez, 22; Alexander Esteban Huaiquil-Chavez, 24; Bastian Alejandro Morales, 23; and Sergio Andres Cabello, 38 — were stopped on Jan.10 in Harmony Township after a traffic violation, according to the affidavit.

The authorities had followed the men as they rode in a sport utility vehicle from a hotel in Fairborn, Ohio, the affidavit said without elaborating.All four were either in the United States illegally or had “overstayed their permissions,” according to the affidavit.The driver of the S.U.V., Mr.Sanchez, did not have a valid driver’s license when he was pulled over by Ohio State Highway Patrol, the affidavit said.

The police smelled marijuana in the vehicle and took all of the occupants’ identification, three of which, the authorities said, were fake.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank y...