A North Carolina man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing a game store employee and stealing nearly $21,000 worth of Pokémon trading cards, along with cash and a cellphone.
The incident took place on January 6, 2026, at Video Game Time in Wilmington, North Carolina. According to prosecutors, Joseph Trevor Wilson, 36, entered the store pretending to be a customer before launching the robbery. He allegedly pepper-sprayed an employee, restrained the victim with zip ties, displayed what appeared to be a handgun, and fled with valuable Pokémon cards, cash, and the employee's cellphone.
Investigators later tracked Wilson using surveillance footage from nearby businesses and the employee's description of the suspect. He was arrested just five days after the robbery during a traffic stop, where police recovered a BB pistol believed to have been used in the crime, along with cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Several of the stolen Pokémon cards were eventually recovered after two men attempted to sell them at a game store in Fayetteville. During the investigation, authorities also discovered a notebook containing a Pokémon symbol drawn on the date of the robbery, with the word "payday" written on the following day.
Wilson later admitted to the robbery, claiming he had been forced into committing the crime by two men over an alleged debt. Despite that explanation, he pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 10.6 to 13.8 years in prison by the New Hanover County Superior Court.
Pokémon Cards Continue to Attract Criminals
As the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) continues to grow in popularity, rare and sealed products have become increasingly valuable, with some individual cards and booster boxes selling for thousands of dollars. The booming collectibles market has also led to a rise in thefts targeting game stores, collectors, and trading card events.
The Wilmington robbery is another reminder that high-value collectibles are treated like any other valuable property under the law, and crimes involving them can result in severe prison sentences.
