Pokemon cards are as hot as they’ve ever been, and unfortunately for one local card shop in California, that means their merchandise was the target of a recent heist. On Dec. 2, thieves hit L.A. Sports Cards at Burn Bank and made off with $100,000 or more in Pokemon cards and other components. The trio of thieves were caught on camera in the TLA5 video report below.
Store owner Cait Nguyen noted that thieves seem to know where to go to get the most valuable Pokemon cards in the store. The “liquid assets” of unopened Pokemon boxes were also taken, and would be easy to sell because of how common they are. Additionally, the thieves stole unusual sports cards featuring Mickey Mantle and Ronaldo among others.
The thieves were in and out of the store in about three minutes, and reports say the trio has targeted other card shops in Southern California. One of the thieves exposed part of his face during an earlier heist, and it may help police finally track him and his partners down.
KTLA notes that Nguyen indicated the store has insurance, and will upgrade its security. This isn’t the first time Pokemon cards have been linked to a crime. In late 2024, reports surfaced that Japanese mobsters were using Pokemon cards to launder money.
Law-abiding Pokemon fans are keeping an eye out for the next Switch 2 game, Pokemon Pokopia, which will be released on March 5, 2026. Seasoned players already have ideas about how the game might tie in with older Pokemon titles.
