A former Miami Heat security officer and retired police officer accused of stealing millions in team jerseys pleaded guilty Tuesday to transporting and transferring stolen memorabilia across state lines, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Marcos Tomas Perez, 62, “stole hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia belonging to the Miami Heat and sold them to online brokers,” the government said in a statement. Those items, including rare jerseys, were valued in the “millions of dollars.”

Perez entered a guilty plea to a single count of a criminal information before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami. He was arrested on Aug. 5 after investigators searched his home.

The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 31, according to court records. Although Perez faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, a pre-sentencing investigation by the court’s probation office will produce a recommendation under sentencing guidelines for the judge.

According to a plea agreement, Perez has opted to cooperate with the government; the quality of his assistance could lead to a sentence reduction. His economic gains are subject to forfeiture.

Rare access as an employee

Perez, a 25-year retired Miami police officer, was employed by the NBA franchise from 2016 to 2021. Between 2022 and this year, Perez served as a league security officer.

He worked on game-day security details at the Kaseya Center, the Heat’s homecourt venue in downtown Miami, “where he had access to a secured equipment room that stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia set aside for a future Miami Heat museum,” the government said.

“During his employment, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from the secured equipment room and sold them through various online marketplaces,” the government said. “Perez sold more than 100 stolen items over a three-and-a-half-year period for approximately $1.9 million by shipping them across state lines, often at prices well below their market value.”

In one instance, he sold a jersey worn by superstar LeBron James during a Heat NBA Finals game for about $100,000. The jersey was later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.

Investigators searched Perez’s residence “and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, which the Miami Heat confirmed had been stolen from their facility,” the government said.

The FBI in Miami and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. The Miami Police Department has been assisting.

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