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Ex-Augusta National worker admits to stealing more than $5 million in Masters merchandise, including Arnold Palmer’s green jacket
CHICAGO (CBS) — A former employee at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago to charges accusing him of stealing millions of dollars in memorabilia, including green jackets awarded to golf legends Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen.
Richard Brendan Globensky, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of transporting goods across state lines, and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Under his plea deal, he faces a sentencing range of 2 to 2 ½ years. Prosecutors said he is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Globensky, who worked as a warehouse assistant at Augusta National Golf Club, was first charged on April 16, two days after Scottie Scheffler won the 88th annual Masters Tournament at Augusta. He was charged in federal court in Chicago, because some of the stolen goods were recovered in the Chicago area.
Golf legends’ green jackets stolen
Globensky admitted stealing more than $5 million worth of Masters merchandise and memorabilia between 2009 and 2022. According to the plea deal, he would load the stolen goods onto a truck and take it to a storage facility. He would then work with a broker in Florida to sell the items in online auctions.
The stolen goods included green jackets awarded to golfers Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. Palmer won four Masters tournaments in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964. Hogan won two Masters titles in 1951 and 1953. Sarazan won the Masters in 1935, before Augusta began awarding winners green jackets in 1937, but got his green jacket in 1949 when Augusta began awarding them to all past winners.
Hogan has the fourth most PGA Tour wins with 64, Palmer ranks fifth with 62, and Sarazen ranks 12th with 38.
Charlie Riedel / AP
Green jackets remain the property of Augusta National, and Masters winners are allowed to remove their jackets from the grounds of Augusta National for only one year after they win the tournament as a “victory lap,” but must return it to the club afterward. From then on, they can only wear it on club grounds during future tournaments. Otherwise, green jackets are stored in the club’s Champions Locker Room.
Other memorabilia and merchandise Globensky stole included Masters programs from 1934 and 1935; an Augusta National clubhouse trophy; Masters tickets from 1934 through 1939; documents and letters signed by golf legend and Augusta National founder Bobby Jones; and Masters shirts, hats, flags, watches, and other goods.
Under his plea deal, Globensky will hand over a check for $1.57 million to the federal government within seven days to cover part of the restitution due to Augusta National. His total restitution owed to Augusta National is nearly $3.5 million. He also must forfeit the $5.3 million in proceeds he made from the sale of the stolen memorabilia.
His sentencing has been set for Oct. 29.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.