MIAMI, Fla. — A former security guard for the Miami Heat, Marcos Thomas Perez, was charged this week with transporting and transferring stolen goods across state lines. The 62-year-old retired Miami police officer is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and memorabilia from the Kaseya Center, the Heat’s home arena.
Perez, who worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021, allegedly accessed a secured equipment room to steal the items, including a rare game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey from 2013. That jersey alone fetched approximately $100,000 from Perez, though it sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million in January 2023.
Federal authorities say Perez sold over 100 stolen items over three years, often shipping them across state lines, for roughly $2 million—significantly below market value.
In April, a search warrant executed at Perez’s home uncovered nearly 300 additional stolen jerseys and memorabilia. The Miami Heat confirmed those items were taken from their facility, which planned to use the items for a future team museum.
