Suspect arrested after Pokémon cards worth over US$100,000 stolen from store

Richard Jovahn Nunes, 24, is facing charges after police said he stole collectible Pokémon cards worth more than $100,000 and tried to sell them. (WBZ via CNN Newsource)

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts -- A New Bedford, Massachusetts man is facing charges after police said he stole collectible Pokémon cards worth more than US$100,000 and tried to sell them.

Richard Jovahn Nunes, 24, was charged with six counts of receiving stolen property over $1,200.

Pokémon cards stolen in burglary The burglary happened on July 8 at 1st Edition Collectibles on Purchase Street in New Bedford at around 2:30 a.m. Security video showed a masked man smash the door open and then run inside, where he allegedly grabbed several high-value Pokémon cards and other merchandise out of a display case before taking off.

The store said the stolen cards and merchandise were worth more than $100,000. The most valuable item taken was a Base Set Unlimited Green Wings Booster Box, which is worth about $30,000.

Suspect allegedly tried to sell stolen cards

On Monday, New Bedford Police Detective Nicole Rodriguez got a tip about a person trying to sell the same booster box that was stolen. Later that day, Rodriguez received another tip from Taunton saying the person was trying to sell more Pokémon cards. Rodriguez determined it was “highly unlikely the same person would possess both without being connected to the original theft.”

Nunes was taken into custody in Taunton. Police said he also had an active felony warrant out of Taunton District Court.

After his arrest, police searched an apartment in Dartmouth where Nunes had allegedly been staying. While there, police said they found a shoebox full of Pokémon cards that matched the ones stolen from 1st Edition Collectibles. Among the cards stolen was a 1999 Charizard 1st Edition card worth more than $12,000 and two other Charizard cards worth $10,600 each.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform

Victoria D, CNN