Man gets 1 year in prison for Masters gear thefts

CHICAGO — A former Georgia warehouse worker for the Augusta National Golf Club was sentenced to one year in prison Wednesday for transporting millions of dollars’ worth of stolen Masters tournament memorabilia, including one of Arnold Palmer’s iconic green jackets.

Richard Globensky, 40, pleaded guilty last year to one count of transporting stolen goods across state lines. He appeared Wednesday in Chicago’s federal court wearing a suit and red tie. With his parents and wife seated in the courtroom behind him, he apologized for his actions before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman handed down the sentence.

“I deeply regret the decision that led me to this moment,” he said, his voice breaking. “I have taken full responsibility for my actions and remain committed to doing everything in my power to make amends.”

Globensky and his attorney did not respond to reporters’ questions as they left federal court.

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Under the sentence, he will also have to pay more than $3 million in restitution and face one year of supervised release.

Federal prosecutors had sought a 16-month sentence, while defense attorneys wanted probation.

Globensky took items from the warehouse for sellers in Florida, who then sold them online at a markup, according to prosecutors. Globensky was paid through a limited liability company set up in his wife’s name, among other ways. The scheme lasted for more than a decade, earning him over $5 million.

“The violation of trust was very serious and ongoing,” Brian Hayes, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in court.

Still, he noted how Globensky cooperated in the ongoing investigation, providing text messages between him and a third-party. Court documents only identify the third party as “Individual A,” along with an associate “Individual B.” Hayes said Globensky also preemptively sold his house and gave the proceeds to the government.

The items, which were stolen between 2009 and 2022, included such historic memorabilia as tickets to Masters tournaments in the 1930s, as well as T-shirts, mugs and chairs, according to prosecutors. Among the stolen legendary green jackets were those won by Palmer, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

Some of the stolen goods were recovered in the Chicago area, which is why the court case was at the downtown courthouse.

Globensky, who had worked at the warehouse since 2007, would secretly photograph items and send them to a Florida-based seller. Globensky would then sneak out items that they were interested in, taking small quantities to avoid the risk of Augusta National’s auditing practices, according to court documents. Items were hidden in an offsite storage facility and shipped.

Prosecutors say the money was used to fund a luxurious lifestyle, including $370,000 to buy vehicles and a boat, $160,000 for Disney-themed vacations and $32,000 for items at Louis Vuitton, according to court documents made public earlier this month.

In court, Globensky’s defense attorney, Thomas Church, said it wasn’t uncommon for employees to occasionally take items from the warehouse, his client had expressed remorse and wasn’t a danger to the public.

“This is not a case where he went and broke into any vaults. He didn’t manipulate any data or access any electronic data,” Church said in court, explaining that his client saw the opportunity to take items that were set to be destroyed or weren’t selling.

The total loss to Augusta National was more than $3 million, according to prosecutors.

An Augusta National spokesman asked for comment Wednesday pointed to a victim impact statement submitted to the court during the hearing.

“We were severely disappointed to learn several years ago that a former Augusta National employee betrayed that principle, and our trust, by stealing from the Club, Tournament and even a number of legends whose accomplishments at the Masters and in the game of golf are revered by all,” Augusta National said in the letter. “In short, the employee made significant personal gain with no regard for the impact his selfishness would have on the Club, players, the Tournament, and his fellow employees.”

Palmer, who died in 2016 at age 87, won four green jackets. He’s widely credited with introducing golf to the masses and hit the ceremonial tee shot every year at the Masters for years after he stopped playing in the tournament in 2004.

Getting a ticket to the Masters also gives fans the chance to buy exclusive merchandise that’s not officially sold online. But the green jackets are particularly guarded by the Georgia company that owns Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters.

The company sued in 2017 to stop a golf memorabilia company from auctioning off items, including a champion’s green jacket.

Augusta National Inc. filed a federal lawsuit against the Florida-based auction company seeking to stop it from selling a champion’s green jacket and two member green jackets, along with other items.