A man accused of stealing over $100,000 worth of rare Pokemon cards from a Massachusetts store has been arrested thanks in large part to the local collector community.
The brazen heist occurred around 2:30 a.m. on July 8 at 1st Edition Collectibles in New Bedford. Security footage showed a masked intruder smashing through the store’s front door before grabbing high-value Pokemon cards from display cases and fleeing the scene.
According to New Bedford Police, the stolen haul included two vintage Pokemon booster boxes, five Charizard cards, and a Blastoise, all considered highly valuable among collectors.
The alleged thief, 24-year-old Richard Jovahn Nunes, was arrested after trying to flip some of the stolen merchandise at other collectible shops. Police say it was the community that helped crack the case.
Pokemon community helps police catch man accused of stealing $115K in cards
Detective Nicole Rodriguez, who was assigned to the investigation, received a tip after someone attempted to sell a Base Set Unlimited Green Wings Booster Box valued at $30,000—one of the exact items stolen in the burglary.
Later that same day, a second shop contacted police with another attempted sale by the same individual. The rarity of the cards raised immediate red flags.
Detectives, working with Taunton Police, arrested Nunes and later executed a search warrant at a Dartmouth apartment he had been staying at. There, police discovered a shoebox filled with the rest of the stolen Pokemon cards.
Nunes now faces six counts of receiving stolen property over $1,200 and pleaded not guilty in New Bedford District Court. He also had an active felony warrant out of Taunton District Court at the time of his arrest.
Filipe Andre, co-owner of 1st Edition Collectibles, praised fellow card shop owners for helping bring the suspect down.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without their help and all of yours. The community rallied behind us and because of the awareness generated, we were able to not only track them down but take action,” the store said on Facebook.
Shoutouts were given to Collectible Tags and Dream Collectors—two shops that reported Nunes’ attempts to offload the stolen goods rather than taking the bait.
Thanks to the vigilance of collectors and shop owners alike, nearly all of the stolen merchandise has been recovered.
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