A 36-year-old man has pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $21,000 worth of Pokemon cards and was sentenced to over 10 years in prison as part of the plea deal. The Pokemon card thief entered his plea six months after his arrest, which happened during a traffic stop in which police found other items on his person.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game has long been a profitable staple of the Pokemon brand since its arrival in the West during the late 1990s. With Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary in full swing, the festivities have extended to the trading card game, as well. The Pokemon TCG will launch the 30th Celebration expansion in September, which will feature reprints of popular cards from the game’s history, such as the Base Set Charizard card.
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North Carolina Pokemon Card Thief Pleads Guilty to January Robbery
However, the overwhelming popularity of the Pokemon TCG has made it the target of both collectors and thieves alike, with some cards fetching eye-watering sums of money on third-party marketplaces. According to a report from New Hanover County Superior Court, Joseph Trevor Wilson of Wilmington, North Carolina will be spending at least 10 to 14 years behind bars after pleading guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon. Wilson was arrested in January 2026 during a police traffic stop and was accused of stealing nearly $21,000 worth of Pokemon cards from Video Game Time, a Wilmington video game and trading card store. Surveillance footage from Video Game Time linked Wilson to the crime. Police uncovered a BB pistol, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia during the January traffic stop when Wilson was arrested.
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Along with the Pokemon card robbery, Wilson also pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping, possession of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia charges as part of the deal. The office of District Attorney Jason Smith stated that Wilson posed as a customer to commit the robbery. The DA’s office said that Wilson pepper-sprayed a Video Game Time store employee, zip-tied them, and brandished a weapon before fleeing the scene with Pokemon cards, a cell phone, and some cash. In his plea deal, Wilson claimed two other men forced him to commit the robbery to cover a debt he owed. Some of the stolen Pokemon cards were recovered over 90 miles away in Fayetteville, located northwest of Wilmington.
However, WIlson’s case is far from the only crime that Pokemon TCG stores have recently dealt with. In early June, The Card Lab in Brentwood, California was the target of a Pokemon card robbery that took just 39 seconds, according to security camera footage. The burglars stole approximately $15,000 worth of Pokemon cards from the Bay Area store while one of the shop’s staff members was away from the counter. The thieves then took off in a Nissan Altima.
Given that Pokemon TCG products have also been scalped and resold for ridiculously high prices, The Pokemon Company has taken steps to combat the ongoing issues. Effective May 31, The Pokemon Company no longer allows graded cards, Japanese Pokemon Center products, and other high-value items to be sold at official Pokemon TCG events.
Sources: Dexerto, WECT
