Man Uses Taco Seasoning To Steal $10,000 Of Pokemon Cards

"Wallis would visit a Target, pick up a bunch of "large boxes of trading cards" and then "an equal number of 99-cent taco seasoning packets," and take both to the self-checkout. He'd scan and pay for the taco seasoning, but put the Pokémon cards in his bags."

"In total, Wallis is said to have stolen $10,000 worth of cards, but made $40,000 reselling them on eBay. And apparently there might still be more incidences of his spree to uncover, as the investigation is ongoing."

""Organized retail theft drives up prices for consumers," said the Florida AG, "and that is not a result we are going to tolerate. These schemes will be met with the maximum punishment allowed under the law.""

Keith Wallis committed 75 thefts of Pokémon TCG boxes from multiple Target locations across Florida between July 2025 and February 2026. His scheme involved purchasing taco seasoning packets at self-checkout while concealing Pokémon card boxes in his bags. After stealing approximately $10,000 worth of cards, he resold them on eBay for $40,000, capitalizing on the current Pokémon card price bubble. Law enforcement agencies including the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Office of Statewide Prosecution apprehended him. The Florida Attorney General emphasized that organized retail theft increases consumer prices and will face maximum legal penalties.

Read at Kotaku