A 72-year-old Ohio man has been charged after he admitted to illegally planting a GPS tracking device on a delivery driver's vehicle in an attempt to locate Pokémon cards.
Court records from Wayne County Municipal Court obtained by Aftermath show Kent Kubasta pleaded guilty in June to a first-degree misdemeanor tied to the incident.
According to the records, Kubasta attached a SpyTech GPS unit to the courier’s car; the device links to a smartphone application that provides real-time location data.
Prosecutors say the delivery driver discovered the tracker while making a drop at a Walmart store.
The driver’s name is redacted in court filings.
Kubasta was found guilty this week.
Under Ohio law, the offense carries potential penalties of up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $1,000.
Randy Kendall, manager of Operation Fandom in Wooster, told local media that the information collectors seek is often available through social media and informal networks.
Kendall said collectors monitor platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and follow specific accounts and groups that share links, store tips and timing for card drops.
He added that some collectors coordinate with others and even gather information from store employees to increase their chances of securing limited-issue products.
The incident underscores a wider surge in demand for Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) products and related criminal activity.
Law enforcement and retailers have noted multiple high-profile thefts in recent years: masked robbers allegedly stole more than $100,000 worth of collectible cards in an incident reported in February, and a former U.S. Postal Service employee was previously accused of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in packages containing TCG merchandise bound for an auction house.
The Pokémon franchise remains a major cultural and commercial force, supported by game releases on Nintendo Switch and a robust secondary market for collectible cards.
Retailers and collectors continue to face challenges balancing public demand with security.
This report is based on Wayne County Municipal Court records and coverage by Aftermath and local media.
Original coverage of the case was reported by Reece Heather.
Court records from Wayne County Municipal Court obtained by Aftermath show Kent Kubasta pleaded guilty in June to a first-degree misdemeanor tied to the incident.
According to the records, Kubasta attached a SpyTech GPS unit to the courier’s car; the device links to a smartphone application that provides real-time location data.
Prosecutors say the delivery driver discovered the tracker while making a drop at a Walmart store.
The driver’s name is redacted in court filings.
Kubasta was found guilty this week.
Under Ohio law, the offense carries potential penalties of up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $1,000.
Randy Kendall, manager of Operation Fandom in Wooster, told local media that the information collectors seek is often available through social media and informal networks.
Kendall said collectors monitor platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and follow specific accounts and groups that share links, store tips and timing for card drops.
He added that some collectors coordinate with others and even gather information from store employees to increase their chances of securing limited-issue products.
The incident underscores a wider surge in demand for Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) products and related criminal activity.
Law enforcement and retailers have noted multiple high-profile thefts in recent years: masked robbers allegedly stole more than $100,000 worth of collectible cards in an incident reported in February, and a former U.S. Postal Service employee was previously accused of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in packages containing TCG merchandise bound for an auction house.
The Pokémon franchise remains a major cultural and commercial force, supported by game releases on Nintendo Switch and a robust secondary market for collectible cards.
Retailers and collectors continue to face challenges balancing public demand with security.
This report is based on Wayne County Municipal Court records and coverage by Aftermath and local media.
Original coverage of the case was reported by Reece Heather.
