The FBI and Santa Ana police are investigating the theft of 6,451 trading cards, including nearly 3,000 Pokémon cards, which were stolen from a FedEx truck in California on October 13. The value of the stolen items is estimated to be over $963,000, according to The New York Times.
PSA, a company specializing in grading trading cards, confirmed the theft, stating that the cards were taken after pickup from its Santa Ana facility. PSA has declared recovering all stolen items and returning them to their owners as its top priority and has provided investigators with video footage, shipment manifests, and item-level records. To prevent resale, PSA has deactivated the certification numbers of the stolen cards and shared a comprehensive list of affected items, including certification and serial numbers, with marketplace sellers, auction houses, and digital commerce platforms.
Of the 6,451 items stolen, Pokémon cards account for 2,978. The haul also includes 898 One Piece cards, 880 basketball cards, 640 baseball cards, and 433 football cards. PSA has refunded the grading fees for all affected orders. Orders shipped with a PSA return label are covered by the company's insurance, with compensation already being processed. Customers who used their own shipping labels will work with a dedicated PSA team, while those who purchased through a dealer are advised to contact the dealer directly. Compensation will be based on fair market value, up to the declared insured value, with customers having the option to return recovered items.
Anyone with information regarding the theft is encouraged to contact the FBI's Los Angeles office or the Santa Ana Police Department. This incident follows a theft in July where Pokémon cards valued at £62,000 were stolen from Celestial Collectables in Cheshire, England.