A Pokemon card exchange ends in an arrest after a man attempted to steal a rare card worth an estimated $24,000 using a fake cryptocurrency at a police safe exchange zone. The attempted Pokemon card robbery is just the latest in an ongoing streak of crimes against Pokemon Trading Card Game shops and sellers across the globe.
It’s no secret that the Pokemon TCG is one of the most popular card games in the world today. While the Pokemon TCG is still played at a competitive level, Pokemon cards have also been used as a way for people to make money off of selling rare pulls via third-party retailers. This has subsequently led to Pokemon cards being scalped and resold at alarmingly higher rates. Given that stores like GameStop have been criticized for selling Pokemon TCG products at ridiculous prices, the fact that Pokemon products remain a hot commodity is not changing anytime soon.
Pokemon Card Thief Arrested After Using Fake Cryptocurrency
Although Pokemon cards remain a consistent target for scalpers and thieves, one Pokemon card theft recently ended in an arrest. According to the Evesham Township Police Department in New Jersey, a 26-year-old Philadelphia man named Christian Elam was arrested after allegedly stealing a rare Poncho-wearing Pikachu promo card that was listed for $24,200 on Facebook Marketplace. Elam is said to have pulled off the theft after sending the card seller $24,200 worth of cryptocurrency during a June 14 meetup at the Evesham Township PD’s safe exchange zone in Marlton, New Jersey. However, the cryptocurrency that Elam used during his exchange turned out to be fake and not worth any real value at all. The seller then contacted police after realizing he had been scammed.
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The card that Elam allegedly attempted to swindle was a Poncho-wearing Pikachu from the Japanese Pokemon TCG: XY-P promotional card lineup. The card depicts the Pokemon franchise’s mascot in a poncho that looks like Mega Charizard X, with a Charizardite X Mega Stone tying the poncho together. Given that the Poncho-wearing Pikachu card was exclusive to Japan, it has since become one of the rarest Pokemon cards on the market. Current eBay sales of a PSA Grade 10 Poncho-wearing Pikachu have reached nearly $28,000 as of this writing.
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Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company
After surveillance footage and facial recognition technology linked him to the crime, Elam was arrested and charged with second-degree computer-related theft and third-degree theft by deception. Unfortunately, Pokemon card robberies have been on the rise throughout the US. In January 2026, a North Carolina man was arrested after burglarizing a card game store and stealing approximately $21,000 in Pokemon TCG products. The North Carolina man then pleaded guilty months later in court and was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for his Pokemon card crimes.
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During a recent annual shareholders’ meeting, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are continuing to work together to ensure fans can purchase Pokemon cards without having to worry about scalpers. Some of the measures Furukawa discussed included cooperation with online marketplaces, government ID checks, and additional countermeasures.
Sources: Dexerto, New Jersey 101.5