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The Miami Heat have been having a few dull seasons, and being the subject of one of the largest sports heists in history has only added to that stress.
Hundreds of game-worn jerseys were stolen from the team’s facility, and a suspect admitted to swiping them all in the South District Court in Florida on Tuesday. 62-year-old Marcos Perez was accused of stealing more than 400 jerseys and made $1.9 million while he schemed for more than three years.
In a court filing, Perez, a former police officer, describes exactly how he pulled off the ruse while changing his plea to guilty on the charge of transportation of stolen goods.
According to Cllct, it started when he told a coworker he was going to the bathroom or used some other excuse to disappear with the key. Then he’d unlock the equipment room door and prop it open before returning the key.
Later on, he’d return to the room and steal whatever merch he wanted, and later found others to broker the sales for a small percentage. He even sold the goods through his own company, South Florida Signature Authenticators Incorporated, on sites like eBay and Instagram.
His biggest get was LeBron James’ jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which he sold for $100,000, which later went for $3.7 million at Sotheby’s.
During their investigation, cops searched his house and discovered the damning evidence, proving his role in the jersey-stealing plot.
“Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home on April 3, recovering nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had been stolen from its facility, according to the statement,” Cllct writes.
NBC 6 spoke to Perez’s defense attorney, Robert Buschel, who says, “He’s depressed, naturally, but he accepts responsibility for his behavior, and we’re gonna work through this issue in his life.”
Perez now faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. However, thanks to him entering a plea, prosecutors will recommend a lighter sentence once he’s sentenced on October 31.
See social’s reaction to the heist below.
