A 36-year-old man has pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $21,000 Pokémon brief and was sentenced to over 10 years in prison as part of the appeal. The Pokémon the card thief entered his plea six months after his arrest, which occurred during a traffic stop where police found other items on his person.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game has long been a profitable staple in Pokémon brand since its arrival in the West in the late 1990s. With PokémonThe 30th anniversary is in full swing, the festivities have been extended to also include the card game. The Pokemon TCG will launch 30th anniversary celebration expansion in September, which will include 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
But the overwhelming popularity of Pokemon TCG has made it a target for collectors and thieves alike, with some cards fetching eye-watering sums of money on third-party marketplaces. According to a New Hanover County Superior Court report, Joseph Trevor Wilson of Wilmington, North Carolina will spend 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 stop and charged with stealing nearly $21,000 Pokémon 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 discovered a BB gun, cocaine and drug paraphernalia during the January traffic stop when Wilson was arrested.
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Together with Pokémon card robbery, Wilson also pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping, possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia as part of the deal. District Attorney Jason Smith's office said Wilson posed as a customer to commit the robbery. The DA's office said Wilson pepper-sprayed an employee at the Video Game Time store, tied them up and brandished a gun before fleeing the scene with Pokémon cards, a mobile phone and some cash. In his plea agreement, Wilson claimed that two other men forced him to commit the robbery to cover a debt he owed. Part of the stolen Pokémon cards were recovered over 90 miles away in Fayetteville, which is northwest of Wilmington.
WIlson's case, however, 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 one Pokémon card robbery that took just 39 seconds, according to security camera footage. The burglars stole about $15,000 Pokémon card from the Bay Area store while one of the store's employees was away from the counter. The thieves then took off in a Nissan Altima.
With that in mind Pokemon TCG products have also been scalped and resold at ridiculously high prices, The Pokemon Company has taken steps to combat the ongoing problems. As of May 31st, The Pokemon Company will no longer allow rated cards, Japanese Pokemon Center products, and other valuable items to be sold on official Pokemon TCG events.
Sources: Dexerto, WECT
