A former employee of the Miami Heat, Marcos Thomas Perez, has appeared in court facing serious charges related to the transportation and transfer of stolen goods across state lines. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has alleged that Perez was involved in the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of items from the team during his tenure.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Perez, who is a retired 25-year veteran of the City of Miami Police Department and worked as a security officer for the Heat, allegedly stole numerous items from the Kaseya Center between 2016 and 2025. This includes over 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that were intended for display at a future team museum. It is noted that Perez had privileged access to a secured equipment room, which housed many valued items.

The investigation revealed that Perez sold more than 100 of these stolen items for around $2 million within a three-year span. Notably, one of the jerseys, worn by LeBron James during the NBA Finals, was sold by Perez for $100,000 before making headlines at a Sotheby’s auction where it fetched $3.7 million. In April, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez's residence, leading to the confiscation of approximately 300 stolen jerseys and memorabilia. The Miami Heat organization has confirmed that many of the items recovered were indeed stolen from their facilities.