Post #3403303

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• @mitchconner@clubcyberia.co 2026-06-25 23:53

  @EllisDee@wolfgirl.bar @CozyLife@clew.lol we live in a fallen world. Here is a roundup of recent violent crimes connected to Pokémon cards and Lego sets, spanning roughly 2024–2026: 🃏 Pokémon Card-Related Violent CrimesArmed Robberies January 15, 2026 — Manhattan, New York: Three masked men armed with a handgun and hammers stormed Poke Court, a Pokémon card shop in the West Village/Meatpacking District, during a packed community event with ~40 customers inside. They smashed display cases and escaped with $100,000–$120,000 in merchandise in under three minutes. The NYPD subsequently recommended the shop hire an armed guard. [^2] January 14, 2026 — Gilbert, Arizona: Gilbert Police responded to a fight over a Pokémon card vending machine that escalated into an armed robbery; suspects stole over $100,000 in Pokémon cards. [^6] March 7, 2026 — Graham, Washington: Two thieves smashed through a store window and made off with nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise in under two minutes. [^11] March 2026 — Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada: A card shop robbery resulted in $25,000 in stolen Pokémon cards and an estimated $10,000 in property damage. [^12] Shootings April 11, 2026 — Indianapolis, Indiana: An argument over Pokémon cards in a Kroger parking lot ended with one man shot and requiring surgery. A suspect was detained at the scene. Police described it as "totally ridiculous." [^5] April 25, 2026 — Quad Cities area, Illinois: A targeted shooting stemmed from an argument over Pokémon cards, reportedly leaving three people dead, including the gunman. [^13] May 28, 2026 — San Francisco, Bayview District: A Pokémon card sale arranged online turned into an incident involving charges including murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and vehicle theft. [^7] StabbingsJuly 5, 2025 — Colma, California (San Mateo County): A man was stabbed outside a GameStop after two suspects allegedly tried to cut in line for a Pokémon card release event. [^8]Bear Spray / Pepper Spray Attacks April 2026 — Vancouver, Canada: Three teenagers were arrested after a man was bear-sprayed during a robbery involving high-value Pokémon cards sold through Facebook Marketplace. [^9] Montreal, Canada (ongoing through 2025–2026): Since January 2025, Montreal police recorded 30 robberies involving Pokémon cards, 11 since March 2026. In seven cases, acts of violence were involved — including victims being sprayed with cayenne pepper. [^4] June 2026 — San Francisco: A collectible card sale arranged via an online marketplace ended in robbery when a suspect pepper-sprayed the victim and stole the cards. Suspects were subsequently arrested. [^10] 🧱 Lego Set-Related Violent CrimesArmed Robberies November 4, 2024 — Columbus, Indiana: 19-year-old Isaac Armstrong allegedly pointed a firearm at a Target asset protection employee while fleeing with a cart full of Lego sets worth $1,059. A witness overheard the employee ask, "You're really pulling a gun on me?" An arrest warrant was issued for felony armed robbery. [^3] August 2025 — Sunbury, Victoria, Australia: Two men brandishing a drill bit staged an armed robbery of a toy store, making off with $1,000 worth of Lego. Major Retail Theft Sprees 2025 (50-day spree) — Texas/Oklahoma: Winston Love, 28, stole over 200 Lego sets (plus appliances and electronics) worth more than $30,000 from multiple Target stores across Dallas–Fort Worth and into Oklahoma. Courthouse News noted Love was described as an armed serial thief. He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison in June 2026 under Texas's strengthened organized retail theft law. [^1] [^15] April 2024 — Oregon: Two men were arrested and more than 4,000 stolen Lego sets worth $200,000 were recovered in a major organized retail theft bust. [^14] Why Are These Items Targeted? Both Pokémon cards and Lego sets have become attractive to criminals for the same reason: extremely high resale value. Pokémon cards have skyrocketed in value since the pandemic, and rare cards can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. Lego sets are similarly liquid on secondary markets. This has transformed them into what one Australian outlet described as "like gold to criminals." The international scope of the problem — spanning the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Europe — suggests this is now a well-organized global trend rather than isolated incidents. References [^1]: Serial Lego thief sentenced to 45 years under Texas retail theft law (13%) [^2]: Pokemon Cards Fuel a Global Crime Wave: Theft, Fraud, and Drug Money Laundering (12%) [^3]: 'You're really pulling a gun on me?': Arrest warrant issued for man accused of stealing over $1K in Lego sets (10%) [^4]: Marketplace violence: Pokémon cards and laptops in the spotlight (8%) [^5]: IMPD: Argument over Pokémon cards led to shooting in ... (7%) [^6]: Gilbert Police Department - Facebook (6%) [^7]: Gilbert Police Department on Instagram (6%) [^8]: Pokémon card frenzy in Bay Area leads to person stabbed: Police (5%) [^9]: 3 teenagers arrested after Pokémon card robbery: VPD (6%) [^10]: POKÉMON ROBBERY SUSPECTS ARRESTED What started as a collectible card ... (6%) [^11]: Pokémon cards are igniting an international crime spree | CNN Business (5%) [^12]: International crime spree target: Pokémon cards (5%) [^13]: Targeted shooting over pokemon cards argument - Facebook (5%) [^14]: Everything was awesome in this Lego crime spree until we got ... (5%) [^15]: Man sentenced to 45 years after stealing hundreds of LEGO sets ... (0%)

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