A former Miami Heat security staff member has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges stemming from one of the largest sports memorabilia thefts ever uncovered.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 62-year-old Marcos Tomas Perez admitted to transporting and selling stolen goods across state lines. Perez, a retired City of Miami police officer, worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later as an NBA security employee until earlier this year.
According to prosecutors, Perez exploited his access to a secured equipment room at the Kaseya Center, where the team stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and valuable items meant for a future Heat museum.
Court filings reveal Perez stole more than 400 authenticated pieces of memorabilia over a three-year span, including jerseys worn in the NBA Finals. Among them was LeBron James’ Game 7 jersey from the 2013 Finals, which Perez allegedly sold for about $100,000. That same jersey later sold at Sotheby’s for $3.68 million, making it the third-most expensive game-used jersey ever sold.
Authorities say Perez sold more than 100 items for approximately $2 million, often far below market value, by using multiple online platforms. Investigators believe the true worth of the stolen collection is much higher, running into the tens of millions.
A search warrant executed at Perez’s residence in April uncovered nearly 300 Heat items confirmed to have been stolen, including rare jerseys from the franchise’s championship runs.
Suspicion grew when sellers began offering complete sets of NBA Finals gear, something almost never available in the collectibles market. That discovery helped federal investigators build their case.
NBA analyst Amin Elhassan called the operation “one of the largest heists of this kind” during an appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show, suggesting the possibility that others with ties to law enforcement and the NBA may have been involved.
