England's preparations for the FIFA World Cup received a significant boost after two men were charged in connection with the theft of equipment belonging to the Three Lions. Authorities managed to recover most of the missing items ahead of the team's campaign in the United States.
Charges Filed in Missouri
Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, charged Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, both from San Antonio, Texas, with one felony count each of receiving stolen property. The class D felony carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, and bond for both men was set at $75,000.
The theft occurred while England's equipment was being transported from the team's pre-training base in Florida to their permanent World Cup camp in Kansas City. Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson vowed strong action against crimes targeting World Cup visitors and participants. “Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have traveled here to compete,” Johnson said.
Recovered Items Valued at $18,000
Authorities estimated the value of the stolen property at around $18,000. Fortunately for England, none of the missing items were essential to the team's preparations. According to a probable cause statement, investigators recovered a range of items from the suspects, including nine pairs of football boots, goalkeeper gloves, a World Cup ball, several sets of shirts and shorts, electronic devices, stuffed animals, signed England jerseys, and even a Lego set of Nike Air shoes worth $99.99.
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas praised the rapid work of law enforcement agencies. “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,” Lucas said.
England Settle into Kansas City Base
Despite the off-field scare, England's arrival in Kansas City went smoothly. The Three Lions were welcomed at their hotel in Prairie Village by the Kansas City Chiefs' drum corps, cheerleaders, and mascot before heading to an open training session at Swope Soccer Village. Hundreds of supporters and media members attended the session as England flags flew above the complex, which featured a sign proclaiming it as “The Home of England.”
Although England will play their group-stage matches in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, they opted to base themselves in Kansas City because of its central location. Thomas Tuchel's side begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday and can now focus fully on football after an embarrassing theft saga ended with a breakthrough for investigators.
