A Dallas man was recently arrested for allegedly stealing over $1,000 in Pokemon cards. The man in question is also alleged to have worked with one other person to steal the Pokemon cards and has been charged with multiple crimes including criminal conspiracy.

The popularity of Pokemon cards in recent years is difficult to ignore with many cards being sought by collectors, Pokemon Trading Card Game players, and those looking to sell valuable cards for a profit. With cards often sold in packs or sets, high quantities of cards can be carried in a relatively small space. As such, incidences of people stealing Pokemon cards have been a consistent story with many looking to make a profit from selling cards to stores and collectors, with some ending up behind bars as a result.

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Such is the case for Charles James Pointer, a 31-year-old Dallas man who was recently arrested by the Albany Police Department under suspicion of robbing at least $1,000 in Pokemon cards. He is alleged to have worked with one other person to carry out the robbery. Unlike other recent incidents of Pokemon card robbery in which a business was robbed after hours, Pointer and his co-conspirator are alleged to have threatened or used physical force against a victim to carry out the robbery.

pokemon cards pile

According to the Albany Democrat-Herald, Pointer has been accused of second and third-degree robbery, first-degree theft, hindering prosecution as well as two counts of criminal conspiracy. Court documents allege that his role in the robbery was to drop off his co-conspirator and help in "securing or protecting the proceeds of the crime." He has been appointed a defense attorney and his security has been set at $50,000.

The recent spree of crimes surrounding Pokemon cards has only continued to get worse, especially as new lines of cards have been announced based on the upcoming games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Similar to how the release of newer consoles led to scalpers aiming to profit off of fans by mass-buying units and selling them at a premium, the continued popularity of Pokemon cards has made them a prime target for those looking to profit by selling to fans and collectors.

This pattern of cards being scalped or stolen has undoubtedly made things more difficult for new players of the Pokemon Trading Card Game, a game whose history goes back about as far as the franchise's first video games in 1996. With new Pokemon games continuing to release and a growing community of collectors and players, it is unlikely that this will be the last instance of crimes related to Pokemon cards.

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Source: The Albany Democrat-Herald