Man accused of carrying Masters golf tournament memorabilia recovered from Augusta National

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

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

The items were removed from the famous golf club and other locations between 2009 and 2022, according to the government.

If convicted, Globensky must forfeit all property and cash from proceeds related to the stolen items, the government said.

The Associated Press was unable to reach Globensky by telephone Wednesday at numbers listed in public records. Attorney Tom Church, who is listed in online court records as representing Globensky, did not immediately respond to a voicemail and email Wednesday.

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

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office said he had no information on why the case was filed in Illinois.

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

Augusta National is home to the legendary Masters golf tournament, held this weekend and won by Scottie Scheffler.

For many fans, the ability to purchase exclusive merchandise that isn’t officially sold online is a key part of the Masters experience. In recent years, garden gnome statues that debuted in 2016 have been a hot item. Even logo-engraved cups, once emptied of beer or other beverages, serve as a treasured souvenir that fans accumulate throughout the tournament.

In 2017, the Georgia company that owns the 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 which she said were never supposed to have left the club grounds. Augusta National Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit against the Florida-based auction company, seeking to stop it from selling a champion’s green jacket and two members’ green jackets, as well as silverware and a belt buckle bearing the Augusta National 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.