A former Miami Heat security officer accused of selling stolen jerseys and other memorabilia worth millions of dollars made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami on Tuesday.
Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, was charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
A joint announcement from the Southern District of Florida and the Miami FBI said law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s residence on April 3 and seized about 300 stolen game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia. The Heat confirmed the items had been stolen from their facility.
The charging document said Perez sold the items to online brokers. Over a three-year period, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often at bargain prices.
They say Perez sold a Miami Heat jersey worn by LeBron James during the NBA Finals for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.
Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department, worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
READ MORE: 'Confusion' over who's in charge of Alligator Alcatraz underlies lawsuit hearing
This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.