Man pleads guilty to stealing Palmer jacket and other Masters items

CHICAGO — A former warehouse worker at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty Wednesday to transporting stolen memorabilia and historical artifacts worth millions of dollars, including one of Arnold Palmer’s green jackets .

Richard Globensky, of Georgia, made his first appearance in federal court in Chicago, where he entered pleas.

Federal prosecutors said the 39-year-old would take the items from the warehouse and transport them to another party in Florida to sell them online. The project lasted nearly a decade, and Globensky earned approximately $5 million from sales.

He was accused of transporting goods knowing they were stolen.

“I plead guilty,” Globensky, who wore a suit and tie, told the judge.

The items, stolen between 2009 and 2022, included T-shirts, mugs and chairs, as well as historical memorabilia including green jackets and tickets to Masters tournaments from the 1930s.

Globensky declined to comment to reporters. His attorney, Thomas Church, said the case is ongoing in Chicago because some of the stolen property was found in the area.

Sentencing will take place at the end of October. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but it will likely be closer to two years under sentencing guidelines.