Recently, a brazen armed crew made headlines for swiping over $116,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards from a shop in the Meatpacking District. The alleged wheelman, Julio Caseres Colina, was arrested on federal charges for his involvement in the heist.
According to court documents, Caseres drove three others to Poké Court in the Meatpacking District on January 14, where they smashed display cases and grabbed the valuable trading cards. The crew struck while the store was packed with around 40 people attending a decorating event.
Among the stolen cards were rare characters like Treecko, Charizard, Pikachu, and Ho-Oh, as depicted in images posted on the store’s Instagram. Caseres allegedly waited for the robbers nearby before swiftly driving them away from the scene, along with $1,000 stolen from the store’s register.
It was revealed that Caseres had also driven the same crew to another heist at a Queens shop, where they stole Pokémon merchandise worth about $11,700 and cash from the register. Following this incident, one of the suspects reportedly paid Caseres for gas and gave him various items to sell for profit.
Despite claiming ignorance of the crew’s intentions when he left his van, investigators viewed Caseres’ statement as an attempt to downplay his involvement in the robberies. As a result, he was charged with Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery.
As of now, no other arrests have been made in connection with the card thefts. Meanwhile, Poke Court staff took to Instagram to express gratitude to their supporters from around the world for their well wishes and kind gestures following the robbery.
It is a relief to know that everyone involved in the incident is physically safe, which remains the most important aspect amidst the chaos. The stolen cards may be valuable, but the safety and well-being of individuals should always take precedence in such situations.
