Memorabilia theft ransacked Heat of some team history, DOJ says

MIAMI — What started as the Miami Heat’s first two athletic trainers warehousing team game-worn memorabilia and then grew into initial conceptual plans for some type of team museum turned into the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday offering further details into a massive theft that robbed the franchise of some of its history.

The federal investigation has been 18 months in the making, involving stolen and re-sold memorabilia worn by the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, a collection that had been accumulated by the team since the start of the Heat’s championship era in 2008.

While there had been no set plan for the internal use of the memorabilia, a source told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that discussion has been ongoing for some type of hall of honor for a team that this fall will begin its 38th season, a history that includes three NBA championships.

The team is in the process of attempting to regain the merchandise in question, some of which was sold through social-media channels.

According to a release issued Tuesday by the Department of Justice:

“A former employee of the Miami Heat made his initial appearance in federal court today on a one-count information charging him with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.

“According to the charging document, Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, is accused of stealing millions of dollars’ worth of Miami Heat game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia, which he later sold to online brokers.

“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. During his tenure, Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room. This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum.

“During his employment, Perez accessed the equipment room multiple times to steal over 400 game-worn jerseys and other items, which he then sold to various online marketplaces. Over a three-year period, Perez sold over 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value. As an example, Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.

“On April 3, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s residence and seized nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia. The Miami Heat confirmed that these items had been stolen from their facility.

“United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.

“FBI Miami is investigating the case. The Miami Police Department provided invaluable assistance.”

The theft has been reported as one of the largest ever of authenticated sports memorabilia, according to former NBA executive and longtime media personality Amin Elhassan.

“There is another federal investigation going on right now about the sale of ill-gotten memorabilia,” Elhassan said on the Dan Le Batard Show. “This one concerns memorabilia — authenticated memorabilia — stolen from the Miami Heat, and sold for many, many, many, many, many millions of dollars. Perhaps one of the largest heists of this kind. Game-worn stuff that’s been stolen and sold. ... This person was taking it and selling it both within the regular market and the black market.

“What red-flagged it within the memorabilia community is you never see people with this much stuff. You might get a game-worn jersey, but to get like a game-worn full set? NBA Finals? For multiple players? As it was described to me, this is one of the largest, if not the largest, memorabilia heists in the history of this country in any sport.”

The Heat have various displays of team artifacts throughout Kaseya Center, including banners signifying NBA championships, conference championships, retired numbers and tributes to those from the team who have won Olympic gold medals while representing the team. The team also has numerous displays throughout the facility of significant franchise moments, collages available for public viewing during the team’s tours of the arena.

But except for the appearances of the franchise’s three Larry O’Brien championship trophies during selected events, there is no permanent display of franchise memorabilia.

The Heat had been involved with resale of used team gear for charitable purposes, including such a sales booth in past years at the team’s annual Family Festival hosted by Pat Riley, Micky Arison and their families, thereby also putting such mementos legally into circulation.

The Heat and NBA have declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

The memorabilia case is the second ongoing investigation involving the Heat, with guard Terry Rozier linked to a gambling investigation, with no charges in place in that case.