Man Jailed Over $57,000 Pokemon Card
We all remember how big of a deal Pokemon cards were, right?
From trading on the playground to subsequently crying to the teacher because you realised too late that the trade you just made was a huge mistake, the cultural phenomenon of Pokemon proved itself to be much more than just a few video game cartridges with its trading card game.
Though players never actually played the game, simply having good cards gave you an instant buff in playground social standing, and to be honest, things haven't really changed, with streamers and fans splashing out up to millions of dollars to pull good cards.
And apparently, some people are willing to risk prison for a good pull.
Man Is Arrested Over Pokemon Card
Click to enlargeSome things are worth the risk.
Last year, a Georgia man was charged after he allegedly lied on an application for a COVID disaster loan, then spent the spoils on a single Pokemon card. He has since plead guilty and is going to prison.
He claimed to be running a business and needed the loan to recuperate it as a result of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had on him. His application was successful, and he was awarded $85,000 - except the company itself didn't actually exist, and they spent $57,789 of that loan on a Pokemon card. The hustle never stops.
What Pokemon Card Did The Georgia Man Buy?
Click to enlargeWe know full well that we're meant to be directly condoning this action, but let's be honest - you want to know what card it was, right?
Well, we didn't know what the card was at the time, but the Southern District of Georgia US Attorney's Office has since been able to disclose that it was a Charizard card. If you're interested in the specifics, Polygon was able to deduct that it was this 9.5 gem mint original Charizard.
It's clear that the Pokemon card frenzy isn't over all these years later, especially if some are willing to spend upwards of fifty grand of Government money on a single card. To be fair though, if it's in mint condition…