A former security officer for the Miami Heat has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million in restitution for stealing hundreds of valuable game-worn jerseys and other sports memorabilia from the team.
Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, was sentenced earlier this month after pleading guilty last August to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
The 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quiñones, condemned Perez’s actions, stating, “This defendant was a former police officer who betrayed the public trust and exploited his access to our beloved hometown team for personal gain. The Miami Heat represent excellence built through hard work and discipline in South Florida — and this conduct was the opposite.”
Federal prosecutors and the FBI revealed Perez exploited his game-day security role at the Kaseya Center, gaining access to a secured equipment room. The access allowed him to steal over 400 jerseys and other items intended for a future team museum.
Over three years, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for approximately approximately $1.9 million and shipped them across state lines often at bargain prices. A Miami Heat jersey worn by LeBron James during the NBA Finals, sold by Perez for around $100,000, later fetched $3.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home last April, recovering nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia. The Miami Heat confirmed these items had been stolen from their facility.
