A Georgia man is facing federal charges after allegedly stealing millions of dollars in Masters merchandise and memorabilia from Augusta National Golf Club over a dozen years, according to court filings.
Richard Brendan Globensky, 39, was charged on Tuesday with transferring commodities across state lines into Florida “knowing the same had been stolen, converted, and taken by fraud,” according to court filings filed in the Northern District of Illinois.
Globensky is accused with taking the items between 2009 to 2022.
The Chicago Tribune, which broke the story, identified Globensky as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National. According to a person familiar with the situation, he has been in charge of Masters memorabilia for many years.
It wasn’t immediately clear what stolen items were taken.
Masters apparel is only officially available on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, making the patron experience even more appealing.
Patrons will make their first stop at Augusta National, navigating enormous queues to get their hands on products like the whimsical garden gnomes, which have been the newest sensation since their introduction in 2016.
Forbes forecast that clothing sales alone would produce $69 million in income for the Masters Tournament in 2022.
However, many of those things, such as the garden gnomes, end up on websites like eBay with exorbitant markups.
Globensky’s arraignment was scheduled for next month, according to The Chicago Tribune. According to the publication, he plans to file a guilty plea. According to the AP, if convicted, he will be required to relinquish any property and cash acquired from proceeds related to the stolen items.
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