Two brothers who stole Pokémon cards worth a total of £71,000 in raids on specialist shops have been convicted, Cheshire Police revealed. Keith Johnson, 33, and his elder brother Shane, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary with intent to steal.
First Raid at Celestial Collectables
The brothers targeted Celestial Collectables on Lovely Lane in Warrington, Cheshire, in April this year. The shop specialises in rare and high-value Pokémon trading cards and memorabilia highly sought after by collectors. Police said the store's window was smashed and it was left ransacked, with Pokémon cards strewn across the floor. A crowbar used to smash the glass in the front door and shelving and cabinets was recovered from the scene.
Cheshire Police stated: "The items stolen were mainly Pokémon cards to the value of £62,000 and damage caused to the shop itself was in excess of £3,000." CCTV showed a white Ford Transit van, fitted with cloned number plates, was used in the burglary. Further enquiries revealed the van had travelled from Birmingham to Warrington on the day of the burglary and had been captured parked outside Keith Johnson's address prior to the incident.
Second Raid at The Graded Gallery
The brothers then struck at The Graded Gallery in Rugby, another specialist store. A crowbar was again used to break into the shop, and Pokémon cards were stolen. The brothers left that scene in a Nissan X-Trail. Cheshire Police said: "The total stock stolen and damaged caused was more than £9,000."
Detectives said 'overwhelming evidence' was collected to implicate them in the break-ins. Detective Constable Hannah Smith commented: "The overwhelming evidence collected through our extensive enquiries put them at both crime scenes, giving them no choice but to plead guilty. The brothers will now have to pay the price for their part in their criminal Pokémon enterprise."
Sentencing
Keith Johnson, from Brookwood Avenue, Birmingham, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday and was jailed for 29 months. Shane Johnson, of no fixed address, will be sentenced at the same court later this month.
