National Football League

A Patriots fan claims he helped the FBI find Tom Brady's stolen jerseys

Published Apr. 5, 2017 1:06 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

Tom Brady’s stolen Super Bowl 49 and 51 Super Bowl jerseys have made it back to their owner, but that might not have happened without a tip from a 19-year-old Patriots fan who says he came across the thief on eBay back in December.

According to CBS Boston, Dylan Wagner sold jersey snatcher Martin Mauricio Ortega a different jersey, and the two exchanged photos of their collections. In Ortega’s photo – two months before he stole the Super Bowl 51 jersey and it came to light that the Super Bowl 49 jersey was also missing – was the Super Bowl 49 jersey.

“He sent me 30 photos of his collection. Front and center was Tom Brady’s Super Bowl 49 jersey. I asked him outright, ‘How did you get that?’ and he says ‘I’ll tell you later,’ ” Wagner told CBS Boston.

“He sent me a link to an ESPN article. It stated it is not the first time a jersey was stolen from Brady and it happened after the Seahawks Super Bowl,” Wagner recalled. “I couldn’t believe this guy would have the audacity to go in and steal something that someone worked so hard for.”

Wagner says he then sent the photos of Ortega’s collection and his contact information to the Boston ATF, which he says turned it over to the FBI. FOX Sports had released video of Ortega leaving the locker room with an item tucked under his arm, but Wagner says his ATF friend told him the pictures Wagner provided of Ortega’s collection were the key to getting the search warrant that eventually led to the jerseys being found.

So what’s Wagner’s reward? He has a simple request:

“I would love to meet Brady one day, hopefully. It would be a dream come true. I’m just really glad he gets his jerseys back."