Two brothers who stole more than 71,000 pounds worth of Pokémon cards from shops across England have been sent to prison after their escape plan fell apart in the most mundane way possible: their van broke down.
Keith Johnson, 29 months into a prison sentence, and his brother Shane pleaded guilty to burglary charges at a Birmingham court last week. Shane's sentencing is scheduled for later this month, according to Cheshire Police.
The theft spree began at Celestial Collectibles in Warrington, a specialty store for rare Pokémon cards. The brothers used a crowbar to smash through the storefront, loaded their haul into a Ford transit van, and hit the road. But miles from the scene, the vehicle gave up. The pair had to abandon it and push the failing van to a rendezvous point where a second getaway vehicle waited. That second van led police directly to their house.
Undeterred by the near-miss, the Johnsons targeted a second location, The Graded Gallery in Rugby, stealing more cards and causing thousands of pounds in damage with the same crowbar-and-run tactics.
When officers raided their home, they found the stolen merchandise, keys to both vehicles, and clothing from the first break-in. The evidence was overwhelming. "The overwhelming evidence collected through our extensive enquiries put them at both crime scenes giving them no choice but to plead guilty," said Cheshire Police detective Hannah Smith.
The brothers' bumbling heist reflects a much larger problem. Pokémon cards have become a prime theft target as manufacturing struggles to keep pace with demand despite extraordinary production increases. The Pokémon Company released 10 billion cards in 2025 alone, more cards than there are people on Earth, yet shortages persist. In just four years, manufacturers have produced roughly as many cards as they did in the 25 years between 1996 and 2022.
Card shop burglaries have become routine. A New York store fell victim to armed robbers in broad daylight who held staff and customers at gunpoint. A Florida man was arrested for stealing 12,000 pounds of cards while wielding a battery-powered chainsaw. In California, another thief tried to hide inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a card drop. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently promised "measures" to address shortages and scalping, offering few specifics.
Author Emily Chen: "These two got caught because their van broke down, not because they were clever enough to get caught. The real story is that Pokémon cards have become valuable enough to warrant this level of organized crime, and the supply issues aren't going away anytime soon."
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