A pack of Pokémon cards usually only costs €5, but packs can contain cards that can be sold for hundreds of euros. A thief who tried to steal Pokémon and other cards probably thought the same thing. However, he was caught and now faces a long sentence.
What is the man accused of? 33-year-old Stephen Philpott is said to have tried to steal several card packages in Virginia. The packages were from Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering.
In total, the value of all the cards he wanted to capture was over €1000. Store employees noticed the man and contacted the police directly. This stopped the thief without any effort. As it turns out, Philpott is no stranger to the police force. Now he faces a long sentence.
In fact, Pokémon cards have become so popular in recent years that kids can’t get them any more:
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The thief faces up to 20 years in prison
The cop who caught the thief posted the story on Facebook, poking fun at the attempted theft. For example, he spoke of the thief activating a “Trap Card” from Yu-Gi-Oh! are known.
It was also announced that the thief was a man known to the authorities.
He is said to have been wanted in other counties for grand larceny and no-shows. Stephen Philpott faces a long prison sentence of 20 years because of this and the value of his attempted theft.
As Dexerto reports, Virginia law states that if you steal $1,000 worth of merchandise, the theft is not a misdemeanor, but a grand theft. As a result, he faces this long sentence. With his 1100 dollars, he is just over, which is of course bitter for the alleged thief.
$1000 looks like loose change compared to this Magic card:
Magic: The Gathering: Fan Finds One Ring, Sells It For $2.6M – Now Reveals What He’s Doing With The Money
Because Pokémon cards have achieved a popularity boost in recent years and their value is also going through the roof, this case will definitely not be the last. And it’s not the first case either.
Also in June we reported on a Pokémon card thief:
A man steals Pokémon cards worth thousands of euros, but the thief is robbed himself