Former Miami Heat Security Officer Pleads Guilty to Stealing and Selling Game-Worn Jerseys Worth Millions

Strategic Insights -

A 62-year-old former security officer for the Miami Heat pleaded guilty to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce, admitting to stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and selling them for millions of dollars. Marcos Tomas Perez, a 25-year veteran of the City of Miami Police Department, worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center and had access to a secured equipment room where he stole more than 400 jerseys and other items. Perez sold the stolen jerseys through various online marketplaces, making approximately $1.9 million over a three-and-a-half-year period.

Key Takeaways:

  • Marcos Tomas Perez, a former Miami Heat security officer, pleaded guilty to stealing and selling game-worn jerseys worth millions of dollars.
  • Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from the Miami Heat's secured equipment room during his employment.
  • He sold the stolen jerseys through various online marketplaces, making approximately $1.9 million over a three-and-a-half-year period.
  • Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for about $100,000, which later sold at a Sotheby's auction for $3.7 million.
  • On April 3, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez's residence and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia.
  • Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the City of Miami Police Department, worked as a security officer with the Miami Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.

Statistics:

  • Perez stole more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items from the Miami Heat's secured equipment room.
  • He made approximately $1.9 million by selling the stolen jerseys over a three-and-a-half year period.
  • Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for about $100,000.
  • The same jersey later sold at a Sotheby's auction for $3.7 million.

Sources:

  • U.S. Department of Justice: US FBI MIAMI
  • Miami Heat security officer pleads guilty to stealing and selling game-worn jerseys worth millions of dollars (may not be available online)
  • United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida: www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls
  • District Court for the Southern District of Florida: www.flsd.uscourts.gov
  • Pacer: http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov