17-Time Felon Pleads Guilty to Stealing Baseball Cards Worth Tens of Thousands

Scott Meherg, a 44-year-old with 17 previous felony convictions, added an 18th to his record by pleading guilty to felony theft. This guilty plea came in exchange for a six-year sentence handed down by Judge Mary Margaret Brosnahan.

The crime took place in the early hours of May 31, 2022, when a burglar broke into Elite Sports Cards & Comics located at 2028 West Montrose. The thief stole 32 high-value baseball cards and made a quick escape before being discovered by the store owner.

Owner Ronnie Holloway arrived at the store around 9:30 that morning and noticed the burglary. Reviewing the surveillance video, he identified the burglar as a man who had visited the store multiple times leading up to the theft. The man, wearing long sleeves, gloves, and a mask, had scoped out the layout of the store on previous visits.

Prosecutors revealed that Meherg sold some of the stolen cards at a fraction of their actual value shortly after the theft. One buyer reportedly paid $11,500 in cash and a collectible card worth $7,000 for ten of the stolen cards just two hours after the crime.

Following media coverage of the break-in, a buyer who had purchased some of the stolen cards contacted Elite and turned over the remaining items to the police. These included valuable cards featuring Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, and Jim Brown.

Through license plate readers and other evidence, investigators were able to link Meherg to the crime. Additionally, the store owner confirmed that Meherg was the same individual who had visited the store multiple times before the burglary.

During police questioning, Meherg admitted to selling the stolen cards but denied breaking into the store. His lengthy criminal history includes previous convictions for burglaries, forgery, theft, and identity theft.

Meherg’s six-year sentence may be reduced to three for good behavior, with an additional 516 days credited for time served in jail and on an ankle monitor, as well as participation in jail programming.