Ex-GameStop employee faces charges over Pokemon card theft

A former GameStop employee is facing theft charges after being caught on surveillance cameras stealing Pokemon cards from the store.

With the rising popularity of Pokemon cards over the last few years, more and more instances of theft have popped up around the world.

Hobby store owners blame influencers for the rise in thefts that have ranged from $5 all the way to $500,000 in value.

One of the most recent thefts surrounding the iconic franchise has taken place in Cleveland, Ohio, straight from a former GameStop employee.

Ex-GameStop employee faces theft charges

According to a police blotter post from a news station in Cleveland, Ohio, the incident took place on March 31, 2023.

“Game Stop management reported March 31 that a former employee had stolen two boxes of Pokémon cards while he was in the store as a customer,” it reads.

“The Cleveland man, 34, had left the store before the theft was discovered on surveillance video, but theft charges were issued against him.”

Cleveland.com

It’s unknown what the value of the stolen Pokemon cards is as the website just reports “two boxes,” but it could very well be over $100 in value as Elite Trainer Boxes are $59.99 a piece at GameStop.

If it were two booster boxes, it could be as high as $300 stolen in total.

Pokemon card thefts have skyrocketed recently, amounting to “tens of millions of yen” stolen throughout Japan over the recent months.

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