A 72-year-old Pokémon card collector has been arrested for illegally tracking a woman who restocked local stores with the popular trading cards. Cleveland resident Kent Kubasta admitted to placing an electronic tracker on the woman's vehicle to monitor her movements and identify where new shipments of Pokémon card boxes were being delivered.
Kubasta pleaded no contest to the charge of illegal tracking. While he declined to comment, it is understood that his intention was to visit stores immediately after deliveries to purchase the newly stocked cards. The device, a Spytech GPS, allowed real-time tracking via a smartphone application. The woman discovered the tracker while making a delivery to a Walmart.
This incident adds to a series of disruptions surrounding the recent release of the Pokémon trading card game's 30th Anniversary set. Previous reports have detailed long customer queues, criticisms of 'ghost chairs' at events, in-person altercations over stock, and even frustration from scalpers regarding the profitability of the set due to rarer cards being more accessible.
While the exact sentencing is pending, Kubasta faces potential penalties including up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The upcoming Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Delta Reign set is scheduled for release on November 6, with new card designs already revealed.