The Criminal Enterprise Run by Monkeys
Every week, they steal dozens of phones, wallets and other valuables from tourists in broad daylight and exchange them for handsome rewards. It's been going on for decades and nobody's been able to stop it.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Former Miami Heat security officer accused of stealing and selling millions of dollars' worth of team memorabilia
A former Miami Heat security officer has been charged with allegedly stealing and selling millions of dollars worth of team memorabilia, federal officials announced Tuesday. Marcos Thomas Perez worked with the NBA team for five years from 2016 to 2021 and later with the league from 2022 to 2025. During his time with Miami, Perez was a part of the security detail team on game days at the now-named Kaseya Center, home of the Heat, a news release from the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida states. Perez accessed a secured equipment room that housed valuable memorabilia multiple times, stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items that were intended for a future Heat museum, according to the release. Perez allegedly later sold the items to online brokers. Prosecutors claim the 62-year-old sold more than 100 of the stolen items, worth approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often below fair market value. Perez allegedly sold a LeBron James NBA Finals jersey for nearly $100,000. It was later sold for $3.7 million at a Sotheby's auction, according to authorities. CNN has reached out to Perez's attorney for comment. The Heat declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation. In April, authorities executed a search warrant at Perez's residence and recovered close to 300 more game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, according to officials. The Heat confirmed the items were taken from the arena. According to the release, Perez, a 25-year retired officer for the City of Miami Police Department, made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday on a charge of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce. FBI Miami is investigating the case.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Former Miami Heat security officer accused of stealing and selling millions of dollars' worth of team memorabilia
A former Miami Heat security officer has been charged with allegedly stealing and selling millions of dollars worth of team memorabilia, federal officials announced Tuesday. Marcos Thomas Perez worked with the NBA team for five years from 2016 to 2021 and later with the league from 2022 to 2025. During his time with Miami, Perez was a part of the security detail team on game days at the now-named Kaseya Center, home of the Heat, a news release from the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida states. Perez accessed a secured equipment room that housed valuable memorabilia multiple times, stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items that were intended for a future Heat museum, according to the release. Perez allegedly later sold the items to online brokers. Prosecutors claim the 62-year-old sold more than 100 of the stolen items, worth approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often below fair market value. Perez allegedly sold a LeBron James NBA Finals jersey for nearly $100,000. It was later sold for $3.7 million at a Sotheby's auction, according to authorities. CNN has reached out to Perez's attorney for comment. The Heat declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation. In April, authorities executed a search warrant at Perez's residence and recovered close to 300 more game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, according to officials. The Heat confirmed the items were taken from the arena. According to the release, Perez, a 25-year retired officer for the City of Miami Police Department, made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday on a charge of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce. FBI Miami is investigating the case.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Plane Stolen Twice In One Week Begs The Question: Just How Easy Is It To Steal A Plane?
Plane theft is an exceedingly rare crime. The pool of potential plane thieves isn't large, with there being fewer than 1 million active pilots in the United States. However, one plane owner has been figuratively struck by lightning twice. A single Cessna 172 was stolen twice over the past week from two general aviation airports in Southern California. The aircraft was found and recovered both times, but law enforcement has yet to identify a suspect in either theft. It would have been hard to miss Jason Hong's Cessna 172 at Corona Airport, roughly 18 miles west of Anaheim. The 75-year-old's plane is painted in distinctive red, orange, yellow and blue stripes. It's not yet clear how or when the Cessna departed the airport, but Hong contacted the Corona Police Department once he realized the plane was missing, KCAL reports. The single-engine aircraft was found parked at another airport, Brackett Field, 17 miles away. Read more: Call Me A Luddite, But These Modern Features Only Seem To Make Cars Worse Small Planes Are Easy To Steal If You Can Get Past The Fence Hong realized that the plane's battery was dead when he went to retrieve it. He told the airport's manager that he'd come back in a few days with a fully-charged battery. However, the plane went missing again. The Cessna was found at San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte, California, roughly 12 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, by the El Monte Police Department. Patrol officers found the plane parked on the tarmac, chained to a bolt. This time, we know the plane was flown to the airport because the facility's CCTV camera would have seen the aircraft towed through the gates. According to KNBC, an eyewitness saw a woman with the plane at the airport. While commercial airliners don't have ignition keys, it's not a guarantee that small turboprop planes do as well. Small planes often don't have locks either. The most significant deterrent to private plane theft is the security at the airport when the plane is parked. According to KVVU, a string of plane thefts in 2024, three over six weeks across the entire country, led to an increase in scrutiny over its poor security at general aviation airports. A stolen 1,700-pound single-engine might not pose the same threat as a 65,300-pound twin-engine jet, but it can still be a danger to the public if anyone can just take one for a joyride. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
