Ex-Heat Employee Charged With Alleged Theft of LeBron James Jersey, Other Memorabilia

Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, worked for MIami for six years.

LeBron James (left) played some of his best basketball in the 2013 Finals, as evidenced by the worth of his jersey. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Former Miami Heat security guard Marcos Thomas Perez has been charged with stealing hundreds of memorabilia pieces from the team over the course of nearly a decade, the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday.

Perez, 62, has been charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce. Per a District release, he appeared in court Tuesday on that charge.

According to the release, Perez worked for the Heat from 2016 to '21 and then the NBA from '22 to '25—tenures that allegedly gave him access to Miami's secure equipment room. From there, he is accused of stealing memorabilia with worth in the millions.

The most notable piece Perez is alleged to have stolen is forward LeBron James's jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 Finals. In that game, James scored 37 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to propel the Heat to a 95–88 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

According to the District, an April 3 search resulted in the recovery of over 300 jerseys from Perez's home.

---

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

feed