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RIVER HILLS, Wis. - The River Hills Police Department confirmed three men have been arrested in connection to the 2024 burglary of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis' home.
Local perspective:
Police Chief Michael Gaynor said his department was made aware of the arrests, which took place in Argentina. He did not name the men who were arrested.
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Championship ring stolen
The backstory:
According to an incident report, Portis came home after a game to find his bedroom window smashed and his safe stolen on the night of Nov. 3, 2024. His 2021 NBA championship ring – along with watches, jewelry, and other items – was inside the safe.
The report said the green-and-silver ring had 400 diamonds and was valued at an estimated $1 million.
Bobby Portis home burglary, championship ring among items stolen
Bobby Portis' 2021 NBA championship ring was among the items stolen from his home last year, according to River Hills Police Department records.
Burglary ring
Big picture view:
In January 2025, federal prosecutors charged seven Chilean nationals with burglarizing the homes of several high-profile professional athletes, including Portis: Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez and Sergio Ortego Cabello
The string of crimes spanned from early October to mid-December 2024. In addition to Portis' home in River Hills, prosecutors said the group targeted the homes of players for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals and Memphis Grizzlies.
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The athletes' homes were targeted while the players were at games. The thieves broke in and stole valuable items. In total, prosecutors said the men stole nearly $5 million worth of stuff.
A photo showed Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut and an unknown fourth man. That photo, federal prosecutors said, is proof of part of the haul from Portis' home.
Chilean nationals federally charged with burglarizing Bobby Portis' home
Federal investigators used cellphone towers, phone records and other technology – like geo-tags and timestamps on deleted photos – to catch some of the suspects more than a year ago. Law enforcement officers arrested four of the men in Ohio during a traffic stop, during which they found fake IDs and burglary tools.
The men accused used "throw phones" that are hard to track, only using the devices for a few weeks at a time before dumping them. Investigators were still able to use towers and records to pinpoint locations.
The Source: Information in this story is from the River Hills Police Department, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and prior FOX6 News coverage of the case.