An alleged thief broke into a store, stole a number of Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards, and later returned to try to sell them back. Many people would probably agree that this wasn’t the wisest move on the part of the supposed thief, but it did help him get caught in the end.
Pokemon cards are often a target of theft because, though most of them aren’t worth much, there can be incredibly valuable gems hidden in those card packs. Some people dream of finding a lost binder of Pokemon cards that turns out to contain a $50,000 windfall. Unfortunately, there are a few people who don’t think hoping for a lucky discovery in a dusty garage is enough.
On August 9, a 37-year-old man named Myles Vaughn Pajnogac allegedly broke into and burglarized more than $20,000 worth of Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards from a trading card store in Bellingham, Washington. According to a report by the Bellingham Herald, Pajnogac smashed the glass of the shop’s front door around midnight to pull off the theft. The police were called and a report was filed.
The story gets more bizarre from there, however. A little less than a month later, on September 3, Pajnogac apparently returned to the same store and attempted to sell back some of the items he had stolen. An employee confronted the man, who responded, “I’ll rob you again, [expletive].” Pajnogac then fled from the store but forgot to take the stolen Pokemon cards with him. The shop identified the cards as matching some of those that had been taken the month before. Once again, the cops were called, though this time the store was able to provide them with a photo of Pajnogac.
Approximately eight hours later, police arrested Pajnogac. Along with more Pokemon trading cards, the cops also found fentanyl and methamphetamine, though it’s not clear if he was carrying these items on his person or if they were found during a search of his residence. Pajnogac was booked for a number of crimes, including first-degree theft, second-degree possession of stolen property, and first-degree trafficking. He has since been released on his own recognizance.
The Bellingham, Washington, man is not the only person to be tempted by the lure of Pokemon cards and the quick cash they could offer. There have been multiple instances of people getting caught absconding with the valuable items. At the end of August, a McDonald’s employee was arrested for stealing Pokemon cards that are offered in the restaurant's Happy Meals. And just a few months prior to that, another man was caught stuffing $150 worth of Pokemon card packs into his pockets and backpack at Walmart.
Source: Bellingham Herald