TAMPA, Fla. – A multi-city investigation into the theft of high-value collectibles concluded this week with the arrest of two men linked to a series of retail crimes in the Tampa Bay area. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation on March 17, 2026, following reports that a rare Pokémon card had been stolen from a local hobby shop.
The missing card, a “Mega Gengar ex 284/217,” was taken after two men entered the business and utilized a distraction technique. Authorities report that while one man occupied the store clerk’s attention, the other accessed a display case and removed the item.
Both individuals then fled the premises with the card. Detectives later determined that the same pair was responsible for a similar theft earlier in the month at a downtown St. Petersburg storefront…