Former Heat security officer and 25 year veteran of the Miami Police Department, Marcos Thomas Perez stole from the Heat as per an ESPN report. He stole over 400 items. Perez had access to areas in the Kaseya Center as a security guard and that is how he was able to steal. He stole a Lebron James game-worn jersey and sold it to an online broker for $100K and then it sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3M.
Heat confirmed thefts
The Heat confirmed all the items that were stolen with the FBI, as per an announcement yesterday by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida. These items were going to be used for creation of a Heat museum. After the sculpture release of Dwayne Wade last year, a museum dedicated to the Heat’s championships would keep the fans at the arena after games for more time.
Theft strikes at the heart of Heat fandom
Perez was by all accounts, a native of Miami. For all the heartbreak that fans suffer with the Dolphins, the Heat were the most legitimate pro sports franchise in the last thirty years. Perez’s name now will be synonymous with Nevin Shapiro, a booster for the University of Miami that dragged the football team into NCAA violations with illicit benefits.
Questions for Miami Heat security staff
The questions for the Heat security staff are as follows:
- How was this person not spotted on cameras? His illicit behavior should’ve been noted as probably not many people have a reason to go into the area of the game worn jerseys.
- Was Perez working with anyone else on the security staff? It stands to reason that someone must’ve been “looking the other way” to allow Perez to do his work.
- What “red flags” were missed by negligence from the operations staff?
