A former Miami Heat security officer is facing federal charges after, authorities say, he stole and sold millions of dollars’ worth of game-worn jerseys and memorabilia from the team.
Sixty-two-year-old Marcos Tomas Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department, made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday on charges of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
“This person was taking them and selling them,” said NBA analyst Amin Elhassan.
Elhassan shared the report on The Dan LeBatard Show last month, saying the operation went on for at least 18 months, stealing the authentic gear and selling it for millions in profits.
“One of the largest, if not the largest, memorabilia heists in the history of this country,” said Elhassan. “The sale of ill-gotten memorabilia. What red-flagged it within the memorabilia community is, you never see people with this much stuff.”
According to prosecutors, Perez, who worked as a security officer for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later for the NBA, used his access to a secure equipment room at the Kaseya Center to steal more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items intended for a future team museum.
Investigators said he sold over 100 of the stolen items to online brokers over three years, collecting about $2 million and shipping the goods across state lines.
Among the items, a game-worn LeBron James NBA Finals jersey was reportedly sold by Perez for around $100,000 and later auctioned for $3.7 million.
In April, authorities searched Perez’s home and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen jerseys and memorabilia, which the Miami Heat confirmed were taken from their facility.
The City of Miami Police Department released a statement on X saying they are disappointed to learn of the arrest of Perez, and clarified that he has not been affiliated with the department in over a decade.