A former Miami heat safety official faces federal charges for allegedly stealing hundreds of game souvenirs worth millions, including seven games in LeBron James' 2013 NBA Finals.
Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, appeared in court Tuesday for alleging theft of goods in interstate trade, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in southern Florida.
The allegation was first revealed, “one of the largest, not even the largest, and largest souvenir robberies in the history of the country.”
Perez served as a thermal safety officer from 2016 to 2021, and then joined the NBA safety officer from 2022 to 2025, the Justice Department said. Perez A retired Miami policeman, Perez has access to the security equipment room in Heat's arena, which stores game-wearing jerseys and other souvenirs and provides additional souvenirs for the Future Team Museum.
The Justice Department claims Perez repeatedly entered the room and then stole “400 game jerseys and other items” which he then sold online, usually much less than the market value.
Prosecutors said he sold more than 100 items for about $2 million.
LeBron James' final jersey was one of the most shocking burglaries, with Perez allegedly sold for $100,000. Later, the jersey surfaced at Sotheby's auction house and sold for $3.7 million. At the time, it was the third highest price of the game jersey ever, second only to Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA finals jersey at $10.91 million, while 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 souvenirs. The Justice Department said the heat confirmed that the items were stolen from the team's facilities.
The FBI continues to investigate. The Justice Department has not announced the possible verdict Perez faces.
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