Man charged in transport of millions in Masters memorabilia to Florida

A man has been charged in federal court in Illinois in the transport of millions of dollars worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and memorabilia stolen from Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

A document filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois accuses Richard Globensky of transporting the items across state lines to Tampa, Florida, “knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

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The items were taken from the famous golf club and other locations beginning in 2009 through 2022, according to the government.

Upon conviction, Globensky would have to forfeit any property and cash attained from proceeds traced to the stolen items, the government said.

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The Associated Press was unable Wednesday to reach Globensky by phone using numbers listed in public records. Lawyer Tom Church, who’s listed in online court records as representing Globensky, did not immediately respond Wednesday to a voicemail and an email.

A message was also left Wednesday seeking comment from Augusta National.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office said he did not have any information on why the case was filed in Illinois.

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Court records do not say whether Globensky worked for the golf club.

Augusta National is the home of the legendary Masters golf tournament, which was held over the weekend and won by Scottie Scheffler.

For many fans, the chance to buy exclusive merchandise that’s not officially sold online is a key part of the Masters experience. In recent years, gnome garden statues that debuted in 2016 have been a hot-ticket item. Even logo-etched cups — once emptied of beer or other drinks — are a prized souvenir fans pile up through the tournament.

In 2017, the Georgia company that owns Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters golf tournament sued to stop a golf memorabilia company from auctioning off a Masters champion’s green jacket and other items it says were never supposed to have left the club’s grounds. Augusta National Inc. filed the federal lawsuit against the Florida-based auction company seeking to stop it from selling a champion’s green jacket and two member green jackets, as well as silverware and a belt buckle bearing Augusta National’s map and flag logo.

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Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta and AP researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.