A 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with a spate of robberies around Seattle that targeted the homes of professional athletes in both the MLB and NFL.
Earl Henderson Riley – described as the “ringleader” of a burglary gang – faces four counts, including residential burglary and first-degree robbery, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The 21-year-old and his associates allegedly hit the homes of Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez, pitcher Luis Castillo, former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell.
The incidents occurred between early February and May, with Castillo’s property being the first to be targeted. Court documents seen by NBC Seattle state that among the loot was $6,000 worth of Louis Vuitton bags.
Snell’s home was targeted in March, with the suspects ransacking various rooms and making off with approximately $244,000 worth of items, including two Rolex watches worth $75,000 each.
The same month Castillo’s home was targeted a second time, and more valuable items were taken.
Sherman’s home in Maple Valley was burglarized by armed suspects on March 30, who stole over $100,000 in luxury watches. Members of the former NFL star’s family, including his wife and several children, were at home.
According to Sherman's wife, Ashley Moss, her cousin's children, aged 9 and 11, were held at gunpoint by the intruders.
On May 1, Rodriguez’s home was burglarized, with suspects stealing nearly $200,000 in designer purses and jewelry. Rodriguez’s girlfriend, who was home at the time of the break-in, barricaded herself in a bathroom, according to court documents.
Many of the items stolen from the athletes were later found at Riley’s own address or at the homes of his family members, who claimed he had given them as gifts. Cellphone data also placed Riley’s phone near each of the homes at the time of the burglaries.
He is being held at King County Jail on $1 million bail, with his arraignment set for June 16.
Riley was previously in custody and pleaded guilty to three robbery counts, according to the prosecutor’s office. He has another pending case for attempting to elude police and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office worked for weeks on multiple search warrants that led to the filing of these felony charges today,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said.
“I am grateful for the excellent work from our deputy prosecutors and from police investigators on these home burglaries, and all burglaries filed in King County. All people deserve to feel safe in their homes, and our office will continue to hold people accountable for criminal behavior.”
“We could do that once we identified what we believe is the ringleader of this bunch and charge him as we’ve done today,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gary Ernsdorff said.
“That doesn’t mean our work is finished. 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.”
