Advertisement 19-year-old sports collector led feds to Tom Brady's stolen jerseys Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A 19-year-old sports memorabilia collector and proud member of Patriots Nation helped lead investigators to Tom Brady's stolen Super Bowl jerseys.The New England Patriots quarterback's 2017 jersey went missing from the Patriots' locker room after the team's win over the Atlanta Falcons on Feb. 5.Dylan Wagner, of Seattle, told ABC that he sold Mexican media executive Martin Mauricio Ortega a Deion Branch jersey in December. The two then shared photos of their sports memorabilia collections. Wagner said Brady’s 2015 jersey was in one of the 27 photos that Ortega shared, but at the time, it was not known that the jersey was stolen. “Right at the front of his collection, he had the Tom Super Bowl 49 jersey,” Wagner said. “I thought that was crazy, and I asked him how he got it, and he said, 'It was a long story,' and he would tell me later."Wagner shared Ortega's photos with his friend, Christopher Arone, another collector who happens to be a special agent with the Boston ATF.Months later, when Brady spoke about his missing Jersey from this year's Super Bowl, it was revealed that the jersey from 2015 was also missing. Arone then reached out to Wagner about the photos.“I was like, ‘Holy crap. I know this guy,’” Wagner said. “I sent everything I had to Chris, and I reached out to a few different agencies. I didn’t get very far with them because they were overwhelmed with tips.”Wagner said he contacted the Houston Texans, and the information made its way to the FBI.“On my birthday, March 20, I woke up and saw the great news that the jerseys were recovered,” Wagner said.The jerseys were later returned to Brady, who showed them off at Fenway Park on opening day. "I've been a lifelong Patriots fan," Wagner said. "It's incredible that I've been able to help (Brady.) He's been my hero, and I guess I've been his hero in this case."Ortega has not been charged.