throughout the year 2022 Pokemon Card crimes have plagued law enforcement and educators everywhere. But which ones deserve special attention at the end of the year?
Pokemon cards have become highly lucrative collectibles over the years, with some selling in the hundreds of thousands at auction. Because of this, there have been many people trying to make money in treacherous ways.
From armed robberies to heists with collectibles worth half a million dollars, there were all kinds of wild stories about Pokemon-related crimes nearly every week.
Here are our picks for the craziest Pokemon card crimes of 2022.
Bonnie and Clyde and Pokemon Cards
In July, a couple took police on a quick chase through Ohio after stealing nearly $284 worth of Pokemon cards from Walmart.
Suspects, 32-year-old Nicholas Starkey and 31-year-old Kayla Canova, managed to avoid being caught despite speeding over 105 MPH, despite a 5-star wanted level.
Eventually, the officers lost the vehicle and the pursuit was stopped.
Prosecution throws Pokedex at radical Pokemon fan
A radical Pokemon fan with over 500.000 cards was found guilty of stealing $70.000 worth of cards from his boss and hiding them at his mother's house.
Warehouse employee Kyriacos Christou admitted to receiving Pokemon cards while taking orders and was sentenced to 16 months in prison. But in court, the prosecutor couldn't help showing him who the real Pokemon master was.
“The defendant knew about Evolutions pre-release Charizard Holo from Granbull V Full Art Ultra Rare,” prosecutor Nick Cribb said.
Pokemon Horse Avrat Weapon
Who knew France was this busy? A card collector looking to empty his $15.000 collection was caught off guard when a gun was pointed at his head.
After the dealer was attacked and beaten, the man had no choice but to surrender his collection as the thieves fled the crime scene. Collectors in France may want to be cautious about selling or buying cards until the men are caught.
Charizard card helps underage student get drunk
Perhaps the dumbest story on this list is when a University of Georgia student walks into bars and orders alcohol using a Charizard card.
After UGAPD officers found the student unconscious in his dorm room, the student revealed he had only had four beers.
No charges were brought against the weightlifter, and it is unclear whether officers confiscated the Charizard card as evidence.
Thief breaks down walls, earns $250.000 Pokemon profit
In February, a Pokemon card thief accomplished the unthinkable by literally tearing down a store's walls to avoid triggering alarms and stealing merchandise inside unnoticed.
The thief managed to snatch $250.000 in Pokemon cards and emptied entire two storage rooms filled with items, leaving only plush toys behind.
The loss of such valuable products brought store owner Eric Johnson to tears. “I started crying when I realized how much money and time we were wasting,” she said.
Half-million dollar Pokemon card heist
In the biggest Pokemon card heist we've ever seen, a 62-year-old South Carolina man's $500.000 Pokemon card collection was stolen.
On July 15, a police report was filed stating that an unknown person broke into the collection room at the 6800 square foot beach house and stole Pokemon card boxes.
Only employees of an HVAC company entered this room, says Polydorou. It also keeps baseball, football, and basketball cards there, but apparently only Pokemon cards were stolen.
The collector said his assessment of the value of his cards came from recent auctions for first-print boxes released in 1999.
