A pack of Pokémon cards usually costs only €5, but the packs can contain cards that can be sold for hundreds of euros. This was probably also thought by a thief who tried to steal Pokémon and other cards. However, he was caught, and now he faces a long sentence.
What is the man accused of? The 33-year-old Stephen Philpott allegedly tried to steal several card packs in Virginia. The packs were from Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Magic: The Gathering.
The total value of all the cards he wanted to seize was over €1000. The store employees noticed the man and immediately contacted the police. They stopped the thief without difficulty. It turned out that Philpott is no stranger to the police. Now he faces a long sentence.
Pokémon cards have become so popular in recent years that children can no longer get them:
The thief faces up to 20 years in prison
The police officer who caught the thief posted about the story on Facebook and made fun of the attempted theft there. He mentioned that the thief activated a “trap card,” which is known from Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Additionally, it was announced that the thief is a man known to the authorities.
He is supposed to have been wanted in other counties for serious theft and for failure to appear. Stephen Philpott threatens a long prison sentence of 20 years because of this and due to the value of his attempted theft.
As Dexerto reports, it is legally regulated in Virginia that if someone steals goods worth $1,000, the theft is not treated as a misdemeanor but as a serious theft. This is why he faces this long sentence. With his $1100, he is just above what is of course bitter for the alleged thief.
Compared to this Magic card, $1000 seems like pocket change:
Because Pokémon cards have gained a popularity boost in recent years and their value has skyrocketed, this case will definitely not be the last. And it is also not the first case.
We also reported about a Pokémon card thief in June:
A man steals Pokémon cards worth thousands of euros, but the thief is robbed himself
