In Seattle, a young man has been charged with multiple burglaries linked to the residences of high-profile football and baseball players. The 21-year-old suspect, identified as Earl Henderson Riley IV, faces numerous counts of residential burglary—both in homes that were occupied and unoccupied—along with first-degree robbery charges. This information comes from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Riley allegedly led a team in a series of burglaries commencing in February, focusing primarily on properties belonging to well-known athletes. Among the crimes committed, one theft involved over $6,000 in Louis Vuitton bags taken from the home of Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo. Another theft led to the disappearance of more than $194,000 worth of luxury purses and jewelry from the residence of Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez. Additionally, former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman reported several high-value watches, collectively worth over $100,000, missing from his home. Another incident occurred at the house of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell—who resides in Washington—although nothing was stolen during that attempt, as per court records. There were also indications of an attempted burglary at the home of baseball Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez.
“All people deserve to feel safe in their homes, and our office will continue to hold people accountable for criminal behavior,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion in a public statement.
These recent burglaries are part of a broader wave of thefts targeting distinguished athletes across the United States. Criminals are drawn to these targets due to their possession of high-end items, with some thefts taking place when athletes are away for road games with their teams. The FBI has cautioned sports leagues about organized crime groups setting their sights on professional athletes. Both the NFL and NBA have distributed security warnings after break-ins at the residences of star athletes, including names like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Last November, an NFL memo, seen by sources, highlighted that homes of professional athletes across different sports are “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.”
Riley remains in custody at the King County Jail, with bail set at $1 million. It is unclear if he has legal representation at this time, as the King County Department of Public Defense has not replied to inquiries, and the prosecuting attorney’s office does not have further details regarding his defense.
These charges emerge from an extensive investigation that engaged multiple police jurisdictions. Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gary Ernsdorff mentioned that the case is ongoing, as they aim to identify further individuals involved. “We still want to go and identify everybody who was involved and see if there are additional people that we can have sufficient evidence to charge,” he stated.
Riley is expected to make his initial court appearance for a plea during the arraignment scheduled for June 16.
Furthermore, Riley faces another pending case in King County Superior Court, where he is charged with attempting to evade a pursuing police vehicle and unlawful firearm possession in the first degree.