A former Miami Heat security officer is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing hundreds of pieces of game-worn memorabilia worth millions of dollars, including LeBron James’ Game 7 jersey from the 2013 NBA Finals.
62-year-old Marcos Thomas Perez appeared in court Tuesday on a charge of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida.
The allegations were first brought to light after NBA analyst Amin Elhassan revealed on The Dan Le Batard Show that the Heat had been hit with “one of the largest, if not the largest, memorabilia heists in the history of this country.”
The Department of Justice says Perez worked as a Heat security officer from 2016 to 2021 before joining the NBA’s security staff from 2022 to 2025. A retired Miami police officer, Perez had access to a secure equipment room inside the Heat’s arena that stored game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia intended for a future team museum.
The DOJ alleges Perez repeatedly entered the room and stole “400 game-worn jerseys and other items,” which he then sold online, often for far less than market value.
Prosecutors say he sold over 100 items for around $2 million.
One of the most shocking thefts was LeBron James’ Finals jersey, which Perez allegedly sold for $100,000. That same jersey later resurfaced at a Sotheby’s auction, where it sold for $3.7 million. At the time, it was the third-highest price ever paid for a game-worn jersey, behind Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey at $10.91 million and Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” jersey at $9.28 million.
When federal agents searched Perez’s home on April 3, they recovered nearly 300 jerseys and pieces of memorabilia. The Heat confirmed the items were stolen from team facilities, according to the DOJ.
The FBI continues to investigate. The DOJ has not yet announced the potential sentence Perez could face if convicted.
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