Augusta National warehouse worker admits to theft of Masters merchandise totaling $5.6M

May 15 (UPI) -- Former Augusta National Golf Club worker Richard Brendan Globensky pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of transporting millions of dollars worth of stolen Masters merchandise and artifacts across state lines.

Globensky, 39, entered his plea in the Eastern Division of the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois in Chicago, where many of the stolen items were sold by a third party.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the plea deal reduces the potential sentence to between 2 and 2.5 years. The court also can impose a fine, require restitution and place Globensky on supervised release after serving his pending prison term.

Globensky admitted to stealing millions of dollars worth of valuable items, including the iconic green jackets won and worn by past Masters champions Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Gene Sarazan.

He also stole documents written and signed by Bobby Hogan and large quantities of various Masters tournament merchandise, including hats, jackets, T-shirts, watches, mugs and other items.

Globensky stole the items while he was a warehouse assistant in charge of receiving and storing Masters Tournament merchandise and maintaining the records used to audit merchandise following the annual Masters golf tournament.

In his plea deal, Globensky said he began stealing items in 2009 and continued to do so until about August 2022. He said he transported the stolen goods to Florida for an online broker to sell.

The stolen items were worth an estimated $5.6 million, and the broker profited by charging significantly more than paid for the stolen goods.

Globensky's plea deal acknowledges his thefts cost the Augusta National Golf Club about $3.45 million in losses.

Globensky is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29.