A man from Massachusetts has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $113,000 worth of Pokémon cards and collectibles from a store called Smash and Grub. Richard Jovern Nunez, 24, was apprehended in Taunton on Monday and is facing six charges related to receiving stolen property valued over $1,200, according to the New Bedford Police Department.
Police Chief Jason Tody expressed gratitude towards the Taunton Police Department for their assistance in solving the case. He also acknowledged Detective Nicole Rodriguez for her thorough investigative efforts, which contributed to the recovery of the stolen items.
The investigation into the theft began on July 8th when officers responded to a report of a break-in at the collectibles store. Surveillance footage reportedly captured a figure in a hooded sweatshirt and mask smashing the glass front door, entering the store, and promptly leaving with collectibles stuffed into a backpack—an operation that took roughly 30 seconds.
On the Monday of his arrest, Detective Rodriguez was supposedly pursuing the sale of a valuable Green Wings booster box containing items valued at $30,000, which were believed to be taken during the robbery. Later that same day, authorities received information about Nunez attempting to sell Pokémon cards at a local location.
A police statement mentioned that given the cards’ rarity and the involved booster boxes’ value, it was rather unlikely for someone to own such items without having a connection to the original theft.
Upon his arrest, Nunez was already wanted on a felony warrant. A search of his residence uncovered a shoebox containing Pokémon cards that were reportedly serialized and matched those stolen from the collectibles store.
The discovered cards included:
- 1999 Charizard 1st Edition (Grade 8.5) valued at $12,232
- 2006 Ex Charizard #100 (Grade 9 – Beckett and PSA) each worth $10,600
- 2003 Skyridge Charizard (Grade 8.5) estimated at $7,131
- 1999 Base 1st Edition Blastoise (Grade 7.5) worth $2,000
- 1999 Charizard Holo Shadowless (Grade 9) valued at $5,535
In a Facebook post, the first edition of Collectible thanked the police and local collectors for their support in the investigation, announcing that they would donate proceeds from a “comeback collection t-shirt” sale to charity. The store emphasized, “Crime doesn’t pay; karma is real.”
Interestingly, on the same day, Florida trading card shops saw a spike in customer interest after a masked thief stole a rare Pokémon card worth $30,000 in just over a minute.
