A former warehouse assistant for the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, Richard Globensky, pleaded guilty to transporting stolen Masters tournament memorabilia and historic items, including green jackets won by iconic golfers like Arnold Palmer. Prosecutors revealed that Globensky took items from the warehouse over the span of more than a decade and sold them online for a significant profit. The scheme earned him over $5 million before he was caught. As part of a plea deal, Globensky must pay $1.5 million to the government and faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, although he is expected to receive a shorter term under federal guidelines.
Globensky’s theft of items from the warehouse included green jackets, tickets to Masters tournaments from the 1930s, as well as smaller memorabilia like T-shirts, mugs, and chairs. The stolen green jackets belonged to famous golfers such as Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. Prosecutors described how Globensky would secretly photograph items and send them to a seller in Florida, then sneak the items out in small quantities to avoid detection. The total loss to Augusta National was estimated to be over $3 million.
Throughout the scheme, Globensky worked at the warehouse since 2007 and covertly stored stolen items in an offsite location before shipping them. The investigation revealed that he collaborated with a seller in Florida, identified as Individual A in court documents. Augusta National has not commented on the situation, and Globensky chose not to speak to reporters after his court appearance. His attorney mentioned that the case was being tried in Chicago due to some of the stolen goods being recovered in the area. Globensky is the only individual charged in the case, but he is cooperating in the ongoing investigation.
The theft of Masters tournament merchandise and memorabilia across state lines drew attention to the stringent security measures in place to protect items like green jackets and exclusive merchandise at Augusta National Golf Club. The company that owns Augusta National filed a lawsuit in 2017 to prevent a golf memorabilia company from auctioning off stolen items, including champion’s green jackets and member green jackets. Augusta National is known for hosting the prestigious Masters golf tournament, which was won most recently by Scottie Scheffler. Arnold Palmer, who passed away in 2016, was a legendary figure in the sport and won four green jackets during his career.
