Authorities have charged two Texas men with stealing some of England’s World Cup gear while it was en route from Florida to the team’s Kansas City base. England completed their pre-World Cup training camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Thursday, then flew to Kansas City on Saturday. $18,000 worth of their gear never made it to K.C.
Following the discovery of the theft, Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, said officials at the local, state and federal levels were working to trace where in the United States the World Cup items were seized and to locate all individuals involved.
The Daily Mail initially reported that thieves stole cleats for some of the team’s top players, tournament balls and other “key training equipment.”
Police have taken two suspects into custody
On Saturday, authorities reported that police had arrested two Texas men and charged them with one felony count each of receiving stolen property. Jackson County, Missouri prosecutors charged Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, both of San Antonio, with the class D felony, which carries a maximum seven-year prison sentence, according to a news release.
“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have traveled here to compete,” Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson said. “We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work in filing charges immediately.”
Mayor Lucas said England’s gear was stolen “at some point between their over-the-road transport from Florida to their arrival at the training facility in Kansas City.” It’s unclear how authorities recovered the gear or when the suspects grabbed it.
“I am grateful for the quick work of the Kansas City Police Department and the prosecutor’s office in resolving an investigation across several states, helping crime victims recover goods stolen in transit, and ensuring the accused will face prosecution,” Lucas said in a statement.
England deemed none of the stolen gear to be critical to their preparations
The Associated Press reported that items allegedly found in the suspects’ possession included nine pairs of cleats, goalkeeper gloves, a World Cup soccer ball, several sets of shirts and shorts, electronics, stuffed animals, several signed national team jerseys and a Lego set of Nike Air shoes valued at $99.99.
“To be honest, I didn’t really notice anything about it until you started saying,” England goalkeeper Dean Henderson told reporters. “I believe all the boots came back, we got everything back, so nobody’s bothered.”
“We have not made a big deal of it,” said defender Dan Burn. “I’ve got everything that I need. That stuff has been left to the police. As a group, we have not really spoke on it at all.”
England plays Croatia in their first World Cup match at “Dallas Stadium” in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday.