The federal government has charged a man who it says moved millions of dollars’ worth of stolen merchandise and memorabilia from Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament, for more than a dozen years.
Richard Brendan Globensky is accused of transporting and transferring goods from 2009 until about 2022, according to federal charging documents. Federal prosecutors say Globensky transported millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia from Augusta, Georgia, to Tampa, Florida.
The government argues that Globensky knew the items were stolen when he transported them.
The Justice Department requests that he forfeit “any property which constitutes and is derived from proceeds traceable to the offense, including a personal money judgment.”
The Chicago Tribune first reported that Globensky had been employed by the club as a warehouse coordinator.
The case has been filed in the Northern District of Illinois. Asked why it was filed in a jurisdiction outside Augusta or Tampa, Justice Department officials said that “we can’t comment on the case beyond what’s set forth in the charging document.” The Sheriff’s Office in Richmond County, which is where Augusta National Golf Club is, said it does not “have any record of an arrest or investigation of subject Richard Globensky.”
Neither Globensky’s attorney nor Augusta National replied to requests for comment Thursday.
Globensky’s arraignment and change of plea hearing is set for May 15 in federal court in Illinois.
He was charged days after Scottie Scheffler secured his second title at the Masters Tournament — and once again the merch shop was a big part of the “tradition unlike any other.” Attending the Masters is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many golf enthusiasts, and Augusta National has many restrictions when it comes to buying merchandise and memorabilia.
The only way to buy the official, branded merchandise is in person at the golf shop on club property. Forbes reported in 2022 that the Masters made nearly $70 million in merchandise sales in the week of the tournament — or about $10 million a day from selling items like golf hats and polos.
This year’s Masters “merch hauls” have gone viral on social media, with one user showing off her purchases and racking up over 700,000 views on TikTok.
Another TikTok user broke down the cost of some items, with a men’s polo costing $89 and hats costing about $32.
Cellphones are banned at the golf club, so there are few images of what the shop or lines look like during the tournament. Golf.com reported the highest single purchase at the Masters Shop topped $30,000.