Pokémon cards are used for trading and playing the game.
By Jon Johnson
PIMA – A moving violation led to the discovery of a trafficking scheme involving Pokémon cards allegedly stolen from McDonald’s.
Troy Partin, 32, of Pima, was arrested on Aug. 14 and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of theft, and trafficking in stolen property.
According to a Pima Police report, an officer performed a traffic stop on a maroon, 2004 Pontiac Grand Am after noticing the vehicle fail to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Central Road and Alder Lane. The vehicle eventually yielded into a parking space at the corner of Alder Lane and 800 South.
Upon contact, the driver, identified as Partin, admitted he didn’t have a driver’s license and shouldn’t be driving but was on his way to meet a friend to get some food money.
During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a box containing multiple packages of Pokémon cards that also were stamped with the McDonald’s logo. In questioning, Partin allegedly said he had purchased the cards and was selling some to “his buddy.”
However, the officer learned Partin was employed at McDonald’s at the time, and the store informed the police that the cards were missing and were considered stolen property. After a Safford officer confirmed the theft from McDonald’s, the restaurant terminated Partin’s employment and trespassed him from the building.
Pokémon is a Japanese fantasy-based cartoon that spawned an electronic and card role-playing game based on building a team of monsters to battle other monsters in a quest to become the champion.
Some Pokémon cards are highly collectible and have been valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars and more, however, the Pokémon cards found in Partin’s car were only given retail value. The officer located 200 packages of cards worth an estimated $120.
Partin was already on probation for prior drug-related charges and on Aug. 16 a petition was filed to revoke his probation.
