The world of Pokémon does not escape justice.
The Rennes criminal court on Thursday sentenced three men to sentences ranging from eight months to two years in prison for the violent theft and concealment of tens of thousands of Pokémon cards, worth around 100,000 euros according to his owner.
On the morning of March 16, 2023, two men entered the victim's home, beating him, in Montfort-sur-Meu (Ille-et-Vilaine).
One of the attackers had heard about a collection of valuable Pokémon cards, through a mutual acquaintance with the victim.
The two defendants expressed “regrets”, saying they had acted on a “whim”, after drinking “two or three drinks”.
Held on the ground, beaten in the face and chest, the victim was forced to guide the criminals who were looking for cards with the most market value.
The two men took away “between 10 and 20 120-liter garbage bags, filled with cards,” he reported.
The owner estimates that around 100,000 cards were stolen from him, worth 100,000 euros, or half of his collection according to him.
Torn bags betray the attackers
Some of these bags tore due to the weight, allowing the offenders to be identified by the fingerprints they left behind.
The first defendant, aged 21, who held the victim to the ground, hit her and gave directions to the second thief, was sentenced to two years in prison.
The second suspect, 32 years old, from Albania, filled the bags before loading them into a rental car.
He received two years in prison, one of which was suspended.
After hiding this precious loot in a garage, one of the attackers asked his half-brother to come and collect a bag and then resold some of the cards on the Internet, for 392 euros.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison with a suspended sentence for receiving stolen goods.
The rest of the loot has not been found.
A mobile phone repairer, the collector says he has amassed these cards for ten years, which he has meticulously classified in his apartment, by category and value.
“Everything I've earned in my life, I've put it into this.
Enthusiasts with collections like mine can be counted on the fingers of one hand,” lamented the victim, who has been undergoing psychological and psychiatric follow-up since the events.