Miami Heat’s Secret Heist: Ex-Security Officer’s Multi-Million Memorabilia Sting Uncovered

Following an investigation by the FBI’s Miami office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, charged Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, with allegedly “stealing millions of dollars’ worth of Miami Heat game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia, which he later sold to online brokers.” Perez is a 25-year veteran of the Miami Police Department who worked as a security officer for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 until earlier this year. From the U.S. Attorney’s press release:

“As an example, Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for approximately 0,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for .7 million,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release.A former, long-time Miami Heat security officer appeared in court Tuesday, charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.Police executed a search warrant at Perez’s home on April 3 and recovered about 300 more items of memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had come from their equipment room.
“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.”Perez is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia, some of which he then sold online — about 100 of those items were sold, many over state lines, which added to the charge against him. What’s more, because he was trying to do this relatively low-key, he was often selling items for well below market value.It’s a tale almost too bizarre to believe: A man entrusted with safeguarding some of the Miami Heat’s most prized possessions is now shaking the foundations of the franchise himself. Marcos Thomas Perez, a seasoned security insider with decades on the force and years with the Heat, stands accused of pilfering an astonishing collection of game-worn jerseys and rare memorabilia — items meant for a future museum, mind you — only to turn around and sell them off quietly online. And not just a handful, but over 400 pieces, many moving across state lines, slipping through the cracks under his very nose. The stark contrast between the black-market prices he accepted and the jaw-dropping sums fetched in high-end auctions — take a LeBron James Finals jersey, sold for a mere 0,000 by Perez and later hammering down for .7 million at Sotheby’s — is staggering. The FBI’s recent raid uncovered nearly 300 more treasures hidden away at his home, unfolding a saga that’s as thrilling as it is disheartening for Heat fans and collectors alike. LEARN MORE