KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Late Saturday, two individuals were charged with a felony count for receiving stolen property after England‘s national team discovered that some of their equipment had been taken while they were transitioning from their training base in Florida to their World Cup camp in Kansas City.
Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, charged Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, both hailing from San Antonio, Texas, with a Class D felony, which could result in a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Each was assigned a bond of $75,000.
“Jackson County will not stand idly by while criminals target World Cup visitors, including international teams here to compete,” stated Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson. “We appreciate the swift action from the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys in bringing these charges immediately.”
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The stolen property, valued at approximately $18,000, was not critical to England’s World Cup preparations.
A probable cause statement from The Associated Press revealed that the items recovered from Salik and Kamal included nine pairs of cleats, goalkeeper gloves, a World Cup soccer ball, multiple sets of shirts and shorts, electronics, stuffed animals, signed national team jerseys, and a Lego set of Nike Air shoes worth $99.99.
“I am thankful for the prompt response from the Kansas City Police Department and the prosecutor’s office in addressing this case that involved multiple states, assisting the victims in recovering stolen goods, and ensuring that the accused will face legal consequences,” remarked Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas in a statement late Saturday.
“Kansas City’s public safety leadership will continue to prioritize everyone’s safety and swiftly hold offenders accountable,” he added.
England’s players have downplayed the impact of the stolen gear on their World Cup preparations.
Backup goalkeeper Dean Henderson humorously noted when asked about his boots and gloves, “Yes, thankfully. They got stolen, but we got them back, so it’s all good.”
Veteran defender Dan Burn learned of the incident through media reports and joked that he “wouldn’t be able to move much” if his boots hadn’t turned up.
“We haven’t really made a big deal out of it,” he explained. “I have everything I need, and I’m pleased with that.”
“We understand that the matter has been handed over to the police, and as a team, we haven’t discussed it much,” he added.
The theft took place prior to England’s charter jet arriving in Kansas City around noon on Saturday.
The team received a warm welcome at their upscale hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas, where they were greeted by the drum corps, cheerleaders, and mascot of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Following that, the Three Lions attended an open training session at Swope Soccer Village, where the MLS club Sporting Kansas City used to train, and where their second-division team and academy programs are still located.
As the England flag waved high above the complex, a large sign declared it “The Home of England,” while hundreds of fans and reporters gathered to welcome the team on a hot and humid afternoon during the community training session.
The practice concluded just two hours before tornado sirens echoed through the metro area, followed by a heavy storm.
Though England is not scheduled to play group matches in Kansas City, their choice for a base was strategic due to its central location. Their opening game against Croatia is set for Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, just a 90-minute flight away. Upcoming matches against Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Panama in New Jersey are about three hours away, while potential knockout games on the West Coast are easily accessible.
Defending champions Argentina and Netherlands are also stationed in Kansas City, while Algeria is based in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.