Ex-Miami Heat security officer charged in memorabilia theft scheme

The Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s office announced Tuesday that a former Miami Heat security guard has been charged with selling stolen jerseys and other memorabilia worth up to $2 million. 

Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, was charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.

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View of the NBA logo on a backboard before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat at Toyota Center on April 5, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports)

Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the City of Miami Police Department, was employed as a security officer with the Miami Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025, according to a Department of Justice press release.

Perez was among a limited number of employees with access to a secured equipment room that stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that were meant to be on display in a future Miami Heat museum.

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A detailed view of the shot and game clock in front of the tarp with the Miami Heat logo covering the seats in the arena during the second half between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena on Dec. 29, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)

Perez allegedly accessed the equipment room multiple times to steal over 400 game-worn jerseys and other items, which he then sold to various online marketplaces, per the press release. Perez allegedly 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.

The announcement also said law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s residence 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.

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A general view of the new Dwyane Wade statue in front of the Kaseya Center.  (Rhona Wise/Imagn Images)

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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