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A former Augusta National Golf Club employee pleaded guilty on Wednesday to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia over the course of 13 years, per ESPN and the Associated Press.
Richard Globensky, who began working at Augusta National as a warehouse assistant in 2007, stole more than $5 million worth of memorabilia, including Masters tickets, green jackets, mugs and chairs, among other things. Part of the haul was one of Arnold Palmer's green jackets.
Globensky faces up to 10 years in prison on one count of transporting goods knowing they had been stolen. He will likely only get two years in prison under federal guidelines. As part of his plea deal, Globensky has to write a $1.5 million cashier's check to the government within days.
Augusta National reportedly lost more than $3 million. Representatives for the club have yet to comment on the recent developments. Globensky also declined to comment after his guilty plea.
No one else had been charged in the case. Globensky will be sentenced on Oct. 29.
The Masters tournament, held every April in Augusta, Ga., is the first major championship on the PGA Tour calendar and is the most sought after title in golf. Winning the tournament earns golfers a green jacket which is worn like a badge of honor. It is considered frowned upon for a non-winner or non-Augusta club member to have or wear a green jacket.
Masters memorabilia selling for crazy prices
Globensky and his cohorts had a system in place to get these deals done and swipe the items from Augusta National. Masters memorabilia is some of the rarest sports memorabilia on the planet and is not easy to come by, especially the stuff that Globensky was stealing.
Globensky would take photographs of the items and send them to a Florida-based dealer. He'd then sneak them out in small quantities to get them to the dealer. He hid the items in a storage unit and shipped them when instructed to.
The Masters is probably the most prestigious golf tournament on the planet, one that is soaked in tradition, close bonds and trust. The fact that there was a veteran employee of more than 12 years who was stealing multiple items from the club is a black mark on Augusta but one that shouldn’t stick.
The Masters will always be must-watch television for golf fans. Any sort of controversy that comes with this case in Chicago should not shed a negative light on the Masters or Augusta National.
Augusta and the Masters tournament remains the mecca of golf. Some sports fans look at it as the pinnacle of the spring calendar. A theft case with Augusta's name all over it will not damage the Masters' reputation.
We likely won’t hear more about this until the sentencing in October. Until then, more majors will be played and perhaps more will be uncovered about the stolen items as multiple jackets were reported stolen.
It was a bold move by Globensky and I guess you could say he was living large for a few years. He had what was coming to him though and lost a pretty solid-sounding gig in the process.
