Ex-Heat Security Guard Admits $1.9 Million Jersey Theft Scheme

Marcos Thomas Perez, a former Miami Heat security officer and retired 25-year veteran of the Miami Police Department, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to transporting and transferring stolen goods across state lines. Prosecutors said Perez, 62, used his access to a secured equipment room at the team’s Kaseya Center arena to steal more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia earmarked for a future Heat museum. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Perez sold more than 100 of the items through online marketplaces between 2022 and 2025, generating about $1.9 million. The haul included a LeBron James NBA Finals jersey that Perez off-loaded for roughly $100,000; the same jersey later fetched $3.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction. Agents executing a search warrant at Perez’s home on April 3 recovered nearly 300 additional jerseys the team confirmed were missing. Perez faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Oct. 31 before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, with assistance from the Miami Police Department. Prosecutors said proceeds from the scheme and any remaining memorabilia are subject to forfeiture.