Chicago Police: Man’s Armed Robbery Spree Targeted Pokemon Card Sellers

A 23-year-old Chicago man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he committed a string of armed robberies targeting individuals selling Pokemon cards through online marketplace listings.

CWB Chicago reports that Anthony Garcia faces five counts of armed robbery with a firearm. According to Chicago police, Garcia used Facebook Marketplace to arrange in-person meetings with sellers who had listed Pokemon cards for sale. Once the victims arrived at the agreed-upon locations, Garcia allegedly led them into building lobbies, produced a handgun, and stole the collectible cards before escaping on foot.

All five robberies occurred in March within the Gage Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side. The first incident took place on March 17, where a 20-year-old victim was robbed. Ten days later, on March 27, another 20-year-old was targeted in the same area. The pattern continued with a 19-year-old victim on March 28, followed by two robberies on March 29 — one involving a 29-year-old victim and another involving a 21-year-old victim.

The Pokemon card market has seen significant growth in recent years, with rare cards fetching substantial sums and attracting collectors and investors alike. This increased value has apparently made sellers targets for criminal activity.

Breitbart News reported in January that a card shop heist netted $300,000 worth of Pokemon cards for the crooks:

A customer of RWT Collective encountered the thieves as he was leaving and he was reportedly held at gunpoint in a parking garage. The cards, the NBC article said, were inside a briefcase.

Meanwhile, a similar theft happened at Simi Sportscards on Erringer Road where thieves broke in with a chainsaw. After smashing the display cases, the group fled with about $50,000 worth of cards.

Court records reveal that Garcia has a prior criminal history. Chicago police records indicate he was previously arrested in August 2025 for retail theft. More notably, he was also arrested in 2020 for armed robbery with a firearm, suggesting a pattern of similar criminal behavior spanning several years.