Two brothers have been jailed in separate trials after stealing £62,000 worth of Pokémon cards during a series of break-ins at specialist gaming shops in England. Shane Johnson, 37, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to 45 months and four weeks at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday after admitting burglary with intent to steal. His younger brother, Keith Johnson, 33, was previously sentenced to 29 months at the same court on July 2 for the same offences.
The brothers targeted Celestial Collectables in Warrington on April 8, with police called after the shop's window was smashed and the premises ransacked. Officers found Pokémon cards "strewn across the floor," while a crowbar used to damage the door window was recovered from the scene. The raid caused more than £3,000 in physical damage, while the stolen cards were valued at £62,000, reports GB News.
Police said CCTV showed the brothers travelling from Birmingham to Warrington in a white Ford Transit fitted with cloned number plates. The vehicle had previously been recorded outside Keith's home. The van later broke down in Warrington, forcing the pair to push it along the street before reaching a second van which had also travelled from Birmingham. The stolen cards were transferred into the replacement vehicle, which was later found near Shane's address.
The brothers also targeted The Graded Gallery in Rugby, where they used a crowbar to force entry before escaping in a Nissan X-Trail. The combined value of stock taken and damage caused during that raid exceeded £9,000. Both men were later arrested. Police searching Keith's address recovered property stolen from Celestial Collectables, along with other items.
DC Hannah Smith said: "The overwhelming evidence collected through our extensive enquiries put them at both crime scenes giving them no choice but to plead guilty."
She added: "The brothers will now have to pay the price for their part in their criminal Pokemon enterprise."
The brothers targeted Celestial Collectables in Warrington on April 8, with police called after the shop's window was smashed and the premises ransacked. Officers found Pokémon cards "strewn across the floor," while a crowbar used to damage the door window was recovered from the scene. The raid caused more than £3,000 in physical damage, while the stolen cards were valued at £62,000, reports GB News.
Police said CCTV showed the brothers travelling from Birmingham to Warrington in a white Ford Transit fitted with cloned number plates. The vehicle had previously been recorded outside Keith's home. The van later broke down in Warrington, forcing the pair to push it along the street before reaching a second van which had also travelled from Birmingham. The stolen cards were transferred into the replacement vehicle, which was later found near Shane's address.
The brothers also targeted The Graded Gallery in Rugby, where they used a crowbar to force entry before escaping in a Nissan X-Trail. The combined value of stock taken and damage caused during that raid exceeded £9,000. Both men were later arrested. Police searching Keith's address recovered property stolen from Celestial Collectables, along with other items.
DC Hannah Smith said: "The overwhelming evidence collected through our extensive enquiries put them at both crime scenes giving them no choice but to plead guilty."
She added: "The brothers will now have to pay the price for their part in their criminal Pokemon enterprise."
