A Seattle man, Earl Henderson Riley IV, aged 21, has been charged with multiple counts of residential burglary, including incidents at the homes of notable current and former professional athletes. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has indicated that Riley is suspected of leading a series of burglaries that began in February, resulting in significant thefts from the residences of athletes, particularly those associated with the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks.
According to prosecutors, Riley's criminal activities led to the theft of over $6,000 worth of Louis Vuitton bags from the home of Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo. Additionally, approximately $194,000 in luxury purses and jewelry was stolen from Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners' center fielder. Further allegations include the taking of watches valued at more than $100,000 from the residence of former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, and an incident involving Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, from whom no items were stolen during a burglary attempt. There was also an attempted burglary at the home of Hall of Fame baseball player Edgar Martinez.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion expressed that all individuals should feel safe in their homes and emphasized the office's commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. This recent series of burglaries is part of a broader pattern of home thefts targeting high-profile professional athletes across the United States. Many of these incidents occur while athletes are away for road games, leading to suspicions that organized crime groups are specifically targeting their residences due to the valuable possessions typically kept within.
The FBI has issued warnings to sports leagues about organized crime syndicates that are focusing on professional athletes, and both the NFL and NBA have accounted for this trend through security alerts. Notable cases include break-ins at the homes of star athletes such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. A memo from the NFL highlighted the increasing targeting of athletes' residences by skilled and organized groups, reflecting a concerning trend for players across multiple sports.
Currently, Riley is held in the King County Jail, with bail set at $1 million. It remains uncertain whether he has legal representation, as the King County Department of Public Defense and the prosecuting attorney's office did not provide clarity on this point. The charges against him are a result of an extensive investigation that involved collaboration among six different police jurisdictions over several months.
Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gary Ernsdorff acknowledged that their efforts are ongoing, expressing the intention to identify additional individuals involved in the burglaries to potentially bring further charges. Riley is expected to enter his initial plea during his arraignment scheduled for June 16. Furthermore, he faces another separate case in King County Superior Court, related to charges of attempting to elude law enforcement and unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree.
