Court records unveiled Wednesday revealed that the FBI discovered golf legend Arnold Palmer’s stolen Masters green jacket on sale in Chicago’s Lincoln Park in 2022.
The investigation became public as the result of the prosecution of Richard Globensky, 39, of Georgia, who pleaded guilty and admitted he stole the jacket and other memorabilia in a $5.6 million scheme that lasted more than a decade.
Globensky admitted he took green jackets, usually awarded after a golfer wins the Masters Tournament, belonging to Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen, along with an Augusta National clubhouse trophy.
He previously worked for Augusta National, the golf course where the Masters is held, as a warehouse coordinator. Globensky stole and sold millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from 2009 to 2022.
The green jacket was recovered during an FBI operation in which the authorities monitored a private sale of the jacket before finding it and verifying its authenticity. The authorities then questioned the sellers. Globensky previously sold the memorabilia by photographing items that buyers were interested in and then coordinating delivery once a sales price was agreed on.
Globensky faces a prosecutor-endorsed 2 1/2-year sentence behind bars after pleading guilty to one charge, though he could have faced a maximum of 10 years. Sentencing is set for Oct. 29. Though Globensky is based in Georgia, the case is set in Chicago because that’s where some of the stolen items were recovered, according to his attorney.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The case is one of the largest concerning stolen sports memorabilia, especially for golf.
Palmer died in 2016 but led one of golf’s greatest careers, winning seven major championships, including four Masters, and capturing victory in numerous tour events. He is also the namesake of a popular drink containing iced tea and lemonade sold in stores nationwide.
