MIAMI (WSVN) - A former Miami Heat security officer is facing federal charges after, authorities say, he stole and sold millions of dollars’ worth of game-worn jerseys and memorabilia from the team.
Sixty-two-year-old Marcos Tomas Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department, made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday on charges of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
“This person was taking them and selling them,” said NBA analyst Amin Elhassan.
Elhassan shared the report on The Dan LeBatard Show last month, saying the operation went on for at least 18 months, stealing the authentic gear and selling it for millions in profits.
“One of the largest, if not the largest, memorabilia heists in the history of this country,” said Elhassan. “The sale of ill-gotten memorabilia. What red-flagged it within the memorabilia community is, you never see people with this much stuff.”
According to prosecutors, Perez, who worked as a security officer for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later for the NBA, used his access to a secure equipment room at the Kaseya Center to steal more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items intended for a future team museum.
Investigators said he sold over 100 of the stolen items to online brokers over three years, collecting about $2 million and shipping the goods across state lines.
Among the items, a game-worn LeBron James NBA Finals jersey was reportedly sold by Perez for around $100,000 and later auctioned for $3.7 million.
In April, authorities searched Perez’s home and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen jerseys and memorabilia, which the Miami Heat confirmed were taken from their facility.
On a post on the social media site X, Perez has old photos showing off a Miami Heat back-to-back championship ring from 2013 and behind the scenes photos of the Kaseya Center.
As of late Tuesday night, his public OfferUp account was still active and shows over a dozen mostly sports-related items for sale.
On Wednesday, 7News conducted a door knock at Perez’s home but no one answered.
Carlos Sanchez with the Collector’s Club at Wynwood said Perez’s arrest doesn’t surprise him.
“I’m not surprised that the person got caught. That security guard, he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he said.
The City of Miami Police Department released a statement on X saying they are disappointed to learn of the arrest of Perez, and clarified that he has not been affiliated with the department in over a decade.
According to officials, Perez can face up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted and a $250,000 fine.
“He’s like, ‘OK, I’m going to take a few here and there,’ but he didn’t know the value of these jerseys,” said Sanchez.
Additionally, if the Heat cannot get their memorabilia returned, Perez will become liable for the value of the stolen items.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.