A former Miami Heat security officer has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million in restitution for stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable sports memorabilia belonging to the NBA franchise.
Former Heat Employee Pleaded Guilty
Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, was sentenced earlier this month, according to court records. He pleaded guilty last August to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department, was employed as a security officer with the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
A former Miami Heat security employee and retired police officer was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million in restitution for stealing and selling hundreds of game-worn jerseys and memorabilia.
Positions of trust do not excuse greed. This… pic.twitter.com/lojuRkxu1E— US Attorney Reding Quiñones (@USAO_SDFL) January 23, 2026
“This defendant was a former police officer who betrayed the public trust and exploited his access to our beloved hometown team for personal gain,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement.
“The Miami Heat represent excellence built through hard work and discipline in South Florida — and this conduct was the opposite.”
Perez Sold Stolen Items Worth $2 Million
According to the FBI and federal prosecutors, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold items through various online marketplaces.
Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he had access to a secured equipment room that stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia set aside for a future Heat museum.
Over a three-year period, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for about $1.9 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value.
Perez sold a Heat jersey LeBron James wore during the NBA Finals for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.
Police Recovered More Stolen Jerseys
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home last April and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, officials said.
The Heat confirmed the items had been stolen from their facility.
In addition to the LeBron James memorabilia, the stolen items include game-worn gear from other high-profile players such as Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade.
The Heat won their first NBA championship in 2006, led by Wade, and took home back-to-back titles with James in the “Big Three” era in 2012 and 2013.
“He’s depressed, naturally, but he accepts responsibility for his behavior and we’re gonna work through this issue in his life,” defense attorney Robert Buschel said after a court hearing in August 2025.
NBA insider and Meadowlark Media’s Amin Elhassan first reported the news of the FBI’s investigation on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz in July 2025.
