MIAMI — Marcos Thomas Perez, a former Miami police officer, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison for his role in a sprawling theft scheme that resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of Miami Heat memorabilia being stolen from the team’s arena.
Perez, 62, admitted to stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia while working security at the Kaseya Center.
Federal investigators said Perez used his access to a secured storage room inside the arena to carry out the thefts over several years.
According to the FBI, Perez transported and transferred stolen goods in interstate commerce, with at least 400 items taken. Most of the stolen merchandise was sold online, often at prices far below market value.
One of the most notable items was a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat jersey that Perez sold for about $100,000. That same jersey later sold at auction for $3.7 million, authorities said.
Investigators also confirmed that at least one jersey was sold in a face-to-face transaction in Boston.
Perez pleaded guilty to the charges and addressed the court during Wednesday’s sentencing, describing the personal toll of his actions.
“The hardest thing I had to do was tell my 85-year-old mother what I did, tell my wife and daughters what I did,” Perez said.
Prosecutors noted that Perez had no prior criminal history. His attorney argued the crimes were out of character for the former officer.
In addition to the prison sentence, Perez was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $1.8 million in restitution. Federal officials said he has already paid more than $276,000 toward that amount.
The case was described by investigators as one of the most significant sports memorabilia thefts in recent history.
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