The Arrest
A 72-year-old Pokémon card collector has been arrested for illegally tracking a woman who restocked local stores.
Cleveland resident Kent Kubasta has admitted following the woman's delivery route via an electronic tracker he had secretly placed on her vehicle, in order to see where new card boxes had been dropped off.
Kubasta entered a plea of no contest to the charge, and declined to comment further when approached by press for an explanation. It is assumed, however, that he was then planning to visit each store and buy up stock as soon as it was placed on sale.
POKÉMON COLLECTOR FOUND GUILTY FOR TRACKING A CARD VENDOR 🚨A collector used a GPS tracker to follow a woman who stocked Pokémon cards, allowing him to track her route from store to store.Could’ve just turned notifications on 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/EpnYUPlg3a
The Investigation
The tracker was discovered by the driver while dropping cards to a Walmart. A Spytech GPS, the device allowed someone — in this case Kubasta — to follow her movements in real-time via a linked smartphone app.
While word of when and where additional card stock will be available locally is of huge importance to fans struggling to get a hold of the in-demand cards, Kubasta's actions went beyond the usual sharing of intel via social media and online groups, or being tipped off by friendly store owners and delivery drivers.
Legal Consequences
Sentencing is yet to take place, but Kubasta could now face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
This month's release of the Pokémon trading card game's 30th Anniversary set has been marred by long lines, in-person fights and frustration regarding card availability.
While the 30th Anniversary set has now launched, the next expansion is not far behind, with new card designs from the upcoming Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution set due out later this year.
