First the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins bobblehead heist and now The Masters merch. Is nothing sacred anymore?
A man has been charged in federal court in connection with stealing and transporting millions of dollars' worth of Masters merchandise and memorabilia owned by Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
According to ESPN, documents filed in the U.S. District Court of Illinois accuse Richard Globensky of transporting the items across state lines to Tampa, Florida, "knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud." The items were taken not just from Augusta but from other locations as well, between 2009 and 2022, according to the charging documents.
Law & Crime gets into even further detail, noting, “Merchandise from Augusta ranges from golf towels, shirts, hats and even lawn gnomes, which according to The Associated Press have become all the rage the last few years.”
Stealing anything is never okay but garden gnomes … well, that could actually move the needle on this event into grand theft territory. This year’s Augusta National website official merch area didn’t even include gnomes, which has given rise to an enormous market for the kitschy statuary on sites like eBay, where they can cost well into four digits, depending upon the year and the relative scarcity of the particular gnome desired.
Augusta National is no stranger to problems in the area of protecting its merchandise from illicit sales. The club has occasionally filed lawsuits against those trying to sell the green jacket awarded each year to the winner of The Masters. (The winner is allowed to take the jacket offsite the year after winning but otherwise, the garments must remain at the venue, where they are considered club property.)
But back to this year’s arrest. The 2024 arrest stems from an inside job, according to Yahoo! News UK: “Globensky had worked for years as the warehouse coordinator at Augusta National, overseeing all sorts of the private, for-profit club’s Masters memorabilia,” a source with knowledge of the case said. The article continues:
“Records show Globensky currently works as a mortgage broker. In an online bio for his finance company, Globensky, using “Brendan” as his first name, said he spent 14 years at Augusta National “mastering the art of hard work, customer service, and cultivating relationships.”
“Much like a small town, Brendan creates an authentic atmosphere where people feel welcome and comfortable,” the biography states. “He strives to exceed expectations at every opportunity given. During his time away from the office Brendan enjoys traveling with his family, golfing and watching the game.”
While there has been no word of the progression of the case, it is expected that Augusta will pursue this – with teeth. The club is notoriously strict with its rules and is known to ban Masters visitors for infractions such as running on the course or using a cellphone.
But stealing garden gnomes. This means war.
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