Former golf club employee who stole millions in Masters merchandise sentenced to 1 year in prison
FILE - A flag with the Augusta National logo is seen during the Par 3 Contest prior to the 2010 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, 2010 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - A Georgia man was sentenced to one year in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and memorabilia, according to the Justice Department.
Masters merchandise stolen
Dig deeper:
Richard Brendan Globensky, 40, of Evans, Georgia, pleaded guilty to federal charges of transporting and transferring goods he stole while employed at the Augusta National Golf Club between 2009 and 2022.
Globensky worked as a warehouse assistant for the club at the time and stole several significant items in addition to Masters merchandise, which included:
- Shirts
- Hats
- Flags
- Watches
Globensky also stole Green Jackets that were awarded to golf legends Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
Merchandise sold online for millions
The backstory:
Globensky sold the Masters merchandise to an online broker in Florida for approximately $5.3 million, as well as for an additional $300,000 to the broker’s associate.
The brokers later re-sold the merchandise for significant markups compared to the amount they paid Globensky.
Globensky purchased luxury items over the past six years such as multiple cars, a boat and more than $160,000 for Walt Disney-themed vacations and related activities, according to the DOJ.
He also spent money he received from selling the Masters merchandise on a nearly $600,000 custom home in Georgia and approximately $32,000 on Louis Vuitton products.
What they're saying:
"The funds Globensky obtained enabled him and his spouse to live a lifestyle far beyond their means," Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes said. "The manner in which he spent the proceeds suggests greed was his primary motivation for committing the offense."
In addition to his prison term, Globensky has been ordered to pay $3,448,842 in restitution to Augusta National.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a news release sent by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. This story was reported from Los Angeles.