Pokémon Card Thieves Jailed After Getaway Van Breaks Down Mid-Heist

Brothers Keith and Shane Johnson have been jailed after stealing £71,000 worth of Pokémon cards from two UK shops — and getting caught partly because their getaway van broke down. Keith pleaded guilty to burglary at a Birmingham court last week and was sentenced to 29 months. Shane's sentencing follows later this month, Cheshire Police confirmed.

The pair hit Celestial Collectibles in Warrington first, smashing in with a crowbar and grabbing rare card stock before fleeing in a Ford Transit — which promptly broke down, forcing them to get out and push it to a second waiting van. That second vehicle was later found parked outside their house. Undeterred, they then targeted The Graded Gallery in Rugby, again using a crowbar and leaving both shops with thousands of pounds in damage. Police eventually searched the brothers' home and found the stolen cards, keys to both vans, and clothing worn during the first break-in. DC Hannah Smith of Cheshire Police said the "overwhelming evidence" left them no choice but to plead guilty, adding that "the brothers will now have to pay the price for their part in their criminal Pokémon enterprise."

The case is one of many in a wave of Pokémon card thefts driven by the cards' sky-high resale value. Demand has so badly outpaced supply that The Pokémon Company printed 10 billion cards in 2025 alone — more than the global population — and still couldn't keep shelves stocked. For context, 43 billion cards were printed across the entire 25 years from 1996 to 2022; roughly the same number has been produced in just the last four years. A high-profile 30th anniversary set is due in September, which is unlikely to ease the frenzy. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said last week the company would "take measures" to address shortages and scalping, though offered no specifics.

The Johnson brothers join a growing list of card-related criminals: a Florida man was arrested in May allegedly wielding a battery-powered chainsaw during a $12,000 card theft, a California man was caught hiding inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a card drop in April, and a New York card shop was hit by armed thieves in broad daylight. At least this particular heist ended with a conviction — and a broken-down van.