Man’s Armed Theft Spree Focused Pokemon Card Sellers – Foxton News

A 23-year-old Chicago man is dealing with a number of felony fees after authorities say he dedicated a string of armed robberies focusing on people promoting Pokemon playing cards by way of on-line market listings.

CWB Chicago stories that Anthony Garcia faces 5 counts of armed theft with a firearm. In accordance with Chicago police, Garcia used Fb Market to rearrange in-person conferences with sellers who had listed Pokemon playing cards on the market. As soon as the victims arrived on the agreed-upon places, Garcia allegedly led them into constructing lobbies, produced a handgun, and stole the collectible playing cards earlier than escaping on foot.

All 5 robberies occurred in March inside the Gage Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Aspect. The primary incident came about on March 17, the place a 20-year-old sufferer was robbed. Ten days later, on March 27, one other 20-year-old was focused in the identical space. The sample continued with a 19-year-old sufferer on March 28, adopted by two robberies on March 29 — one involving a 29-year-old sufferer and one other involving a 21-year-old sufferer.

The Pokemon card market has seen vital progress in recent times, with uncommon playing cards fetching substantial sums and attracting collectors and traders alike. This elevated worth has apparently made sellers targets for prison exercise.

Breitbart Information reported in January {that a} card store heist netted $300,000 price of Pokemon playing cards for the crooks:

A buyer of RWT Collective encountered the thieves as he was leaving and he was reportedly held at gunpoint in a parking storage. The playing cards, the NBC article mentioned, have been inside a briefcase.

In the meantime, the same theft occurred at Simi Sportscards on Erringer Highway the place thieves broke in with a chainsaw. After smashing the show circumstances, the group fled with about $50,000 price of playing cards.

Courtroom information reveal that Garcia has a previous prison historical past. Chicago police information point out he was beforehand arrested in August 2025 for retail theft. Extra notably, he was additionally arrested in 2020 for armed theft with a firearm, suggesting a sample of comparable prison conduct spanning a number of years.