Former Heat security officer pleads guilty to theft of jerseys
Marcos Tomas Perez, 62, had previously worked as a police officer for the city of Miami for 25 years before his employment with the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
According to allegations described by the U.S. Attorney's Office in a statement, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold them to online brokers, including more than 100 stolen items over a period of three-plus years for which he garnered $1.9 million, often selling items below market value.
Perez allegedly had access to the equipment room because he worked game-day security at the Kaseya Center. The equipment room had memorabilia set aside for a future Heat museum.
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A court filing related to the plea agreement alleged Perez would tell a co-worker he had to use the bathroom (or offer another excuse) and take the key, open the equipment room and leave the door propped open before returning the key. Later, he would return to steal items from the room.
According to the same document, Perez utilized a third-party liaison to broker the deals, splitting the profits. Then he used his corporate entity, South Florida Signature Authenticators Incorporated, to sell the items. Platforms identified in the document as venues for him advertising and negotiating deals include OfferUp, eBay and Instagram.
The most notable example cited by the U.S. Attorney's Office was LeBron James' jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which he sold for $100,000. That jersey would go on to fetch $3.7 million in an auction at Sotheby's.
A Heat spokesperson declined cllct's request for comment. A Sotheby's spokesperson also declined to comment.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez's home April 3, recovering nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had been stolen from its facility, according to the statement.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
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