He’s no superhero.
A man dressed as Spider-Man allegedly shoplifted nearly $10,000 worth of trading cards related to popular anime from a shop he staked out in Virginia earlier this month.
Joel Brown, 20, is accused of breaking into Gaming Giant, a family-owned collectibles store in Fairfax, and taking off with the stack of valuable cards on the night of March 14 — while wearing a Spider-Man costume that covered his face, according to authorities.
Brown allegedly scouted the store ahead of time, Gaming Giant’s owner told FOX 5. He reportedly came in during operating hours and asked about specific graded cards related to popular anime series Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and Pokémon — which were locked in the display case.
Rare and desirable cards for many series can be graded by experts, which can increase their sell price by thousands of dollars if they’re in good enough condition.
The store owner said Brown returned after hours on Friday night and broke into the store. He made off with “numerous graded slabs as well as sealed Pokémon product,” according to Gaming Giant’s Facebook.
Police received tips about the burglary and arrested Brown shortly after.
He was charged with burglary and released on an unsecured bond, according to the Fairfax Police Department.
Demand for trading cards has skyrocketed over the years, especially for Pokémon, as stores like Target prepare for the release of a new card expansion pack this Friday.
In the past, stores have been overwhelmed by the sheer chaos customers cause while trying to snag their packs.
In January, an all-out brawl erupted at a Costco in Los Angeles as customers fought each other for the packs.
In 2021, Target even stopped selling Pokémon and sports trading cards in an effort to curb the frequent parking lot fights that kept taking place each time a new expansion was released.
