Catherine Rusoff
CHICAGO (CBS) – A former employee of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty Wednesday in Chicago federal court to charges accusing him of stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia, including green jackets bestowed upon golf legends Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
Richard Brendan Globensky, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of transporting goods across state lines and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Under his plea deal, he faces a sentence of 2 to 2 1/2 years. Prosecutors said he is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Globensky, who worked as a warehouse assistant at Augusta National Golf Club, was first charged on April 16, two days after Scottie Scheffler won the 88th annual Masters Tournament at Augusta. He was charged in Chicago federal court because some of the stolen property was recovered in the Chicago area.
Golf legends’ green jackets stolen
Globensky admitted to stealing more than $5 million worth of Masters merchandise and memorabilia between 2009 and 2022. According to the plea deal, he would load the stolen goods into a truck and take them to a storage facility. He would then work with a broker in Florida to sell the items at online auctions.
The stolen goods included green jackets awarded to golfers Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Palmer won four Masters tournaments in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. Hogan won two Masters titles in 1951 and 1953. Sarazan won the Masters in 1935, before Augusta began awarding winners with green jackets in 1937, but won his green jacket in 1949 when Augusta began awarding them to all previous winners.
Hogan has the fourth-most wins on the PGA Tour with 64, Palmer ranks fifth with 62 and Sarazen ranks 12th with 38.
Charles Riedel/AP
The green jackets remain the property of Augusta National, and Masters winners may remove their jackets from Augusta National grounds for only one year after winning the tournament as a “victory lap”, but must return them to the club at a later date. From then on, they will only be able to use it on the club’s premises in future tournaments. Otherwise, the green jackets are stored in the club’s champions’ dressing room.
Other memorabilia and merchandise Globensky stole included master’s programs from 1934 and 1935; an Augusta National club trophy; Masters Tickets from 1934 to 1939; documents and letters signed by golf legend and founder of Augusta National, Bobby Jones; and shirts, hats, flags, watches and other Masters products.
Under his plea agreement, Globensky will deliver a $1.57 million check to the federal government within seven days to cover part of the restitution owed to Augusta National. His total restitution owed to Augusta National is nearly $3.5 million. He must also forfeit the $5.3 million in proceeds he made from selling the stolen memorabilia.
His sentencing was scheduled for October 29.
