Federal prosecutors have charged a former Miami Heat security employee with orchestrating one of the most brazen memorabilia thefts in NBA history, Complex reports.
According to the Department of Justice, 62-year-old Marcos Thomas Perez spent years quietly removing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other valuables from a secured equipment room in the Heat’s home arena. This was no random theft. Perez, a 25-year veteran of the Miami Police Department, had been entrusted with safeguarding items destined for a future team museum. Instead, prosecutors allege, he funneled them to online brokers at deep discounts, collecting roughly $2 million in the process.
The most jaw-dropping example? A LeBron James NBA Finals jersey that Perez allegedly sold for $100,000, only for it to later fetch $3.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction. That single sale nearly quadrupled the amount Perez originally received and accounted for the bulk of what analysts describe as one of the largest sports memorabilia heists ever.
A high-stakes investigation
Perez worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later for the NBA as a security staffer until early 2025. Federal investigators say his position gave him unfettered access to the equipment room housing jerseys worn by franchise legends, including James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. On April 3, authorities searched Perez’s home and recovered nearly 300 additional pieces of memorabilia, including more game-worn jerseys, which the Heat confirmed had been stolen from their facilities.
Perez appeared in federal court in Miami on August 5 and is facing charges of transporting stolen goods across state lines, a felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Neither Perez’s attorney nor Heat representatives have commented publicly, and the FBI continues to investigate.
James’ time playing for the Miami Heat, which included two championships in 2012 and 2013, made his jerseys particularly valuable on the collectibles market. This case, United States v. Perez, No. 25-cr-20346, has already drawn comparisons to a recent high-profile theft at Augusta National Golf Club, where a former employee was sentenced for stealing Masters merchandise.
