Prosecutors in Jackson County, Mo., have charged two Texas men with one felony count each of receiving stolen property after the theft of equipment belonging to England’s national soccer team.
Charged were Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 36. The felony charge could result in a prison term of up to seven years if they are convicted.
Bond was set at $75,000. They remained held at the Jackson County Detention Center as of Sunday morning.
“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.”
The men are alleged to have stolen about $18,000 worth of gear during the team’s relocation from a training site in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to its World Cup base camp in Kansas City.
The items were not part of the essentials needed for game day. KCUR in Kansas City reported the stolen gear included signed jerseys, clothing, cleats and two stuffed animals — lions to refect the team’s name, Three Lions.
Much of the gear has been returned to England.
Ranked No. 4 in the world, England chose Kansas City for a base camp for its central U.S. location.
The Three Lions’ Group L opener is on Wednesday against Croatia in Arlington, Texas. England also will play Ghana on June 23 in Foxborough, Mass., and Panama on June 27 in East Rutherford, N.J.
–Field Level Media
