An Ex-Miami Heat Employee Charged With Stealing Millions in Memorabilia

A retired Miami Police officer is being accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of Heat memorabilia while working for the team as a security officer. 

Now 62 years old, Marcos Thomas Perez is facing federal charges of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce. The U.S. Attorney's Office issued a press release that read in part:

"During his tenure, Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room. This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum."

Considering that Perez was with the team during the time LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were winning the titles, he had access to some pretty impressive gear. The statement continued:

"Over a three-year period, Perez sold over 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value."

Some of those items that were stolen by Perez ended up at high-end auction houses like Sotheby's. And in 2023, the auction house sold a LeBron James jersey worn during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Championship. That jersey sold for $3.68 million, the third-highest total ever for a game-used jersey. 

Sotheby’s responded to the report in a statement that read, “Sotheby’s is fully cooperating with law enforcement and, out of respect for the ongoing investigation, will not comment further at this time,