Teen helps FBI find Brady’s missing jerseys

By: Liz Tufts

news@abc6.com

SEATTLE, W.A. – When Tom Brady held up his once missing Super Bowl 51 jerseys during the Red Sox home opener at Fenway on Monday, 19-year-old Dylan Wagner of Seattle couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

“It’s incredible, I’ve been a life long Patriots fan,” said Wagner.

Wagner is also a die hard sports memorabilia collector and that passion ultimately helped the FBI track down not one, but two of Tom Brady’s missing Super bowl jerseys.

“My mind was blown I was like I know this guy.”

He’s talking about Martin Mauricio Ortega, the man police say swiped Brady’s jerseys from the locker room after the team’s win against the Falcons.

Wagner says he sold Ortega a Dion Branch jersey in December and they soon started swapping pictures of their collections.

Right at the front of his collection was Brady’s Super bowl 49 jersey. I asked him where he got it and he told me he’d tell me someday.

Wagner never thought anything of it that’s until he heard Brady’s super bowl 51 jersey was stolen.

“I ended up getting the Texas Rangers on the phone and they started taking me a little more serious,” noted Wagner.

The FBI contacted Wagner and he was able to provide them with Ortega’s pictures and two addresses he had in Mexico.

“Along with a ton of emails I shared back and forth with him and my transactions,” said Wagner.

Then on March 20th, Wagner’s 19th birthday he woke up to the news that Brady’s jerseys had been recovered.

The FBI agent said without those photos, and without Dylan Wagner, Brady wouldn’t have his jerseys back.

Dylan helped to crack a case that’s sure to go down in history.

“He’s been my hero and I think in a way I’d be kind of his hero in this case,” added Wagner.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017