A $3,500 Cooper Flagg trading card disappeared from a South Florida memorabilia store after a collector who had already bought it requested expedited shipping. Deputies say the search for that one card ultimately led to nine more cards belonging to the business.
Maximo Viani Otoni, 22, of Coconut Creek, was arrested Oct. 1 in connection with VIP Rips, a sports memorabilia business at 1245 S. Military Trail in Deerfield Beach. Broward County court records list one charge of grand theft involving property valued at $10,000 or more but less than $20,000.
A Broward Sheriff’s Office probable-cause affidavit says surveillance footage from directly above Otoni’s workstation showed him seated at his desk with the missing Cooper Flagg card beneath the desk near his right leg. After he moved away, investigators said the card was no longer visible.
The first card was eventually recovered from Otoni’s mailbox, three more were retrieved afterward and deputies say another six were recovered from his bedroom. The 10 cards had a combined reported value between approximately $16,720 and $17,220.
A Camera Above His Workstation Showed the Missing Card
ARREST: The disappearance of a trading card depicting NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg led staff members at a Deerfield Beach shop to discover that a colleague had been swiping other rare and pricey sports cards, deputies said. https://t.co/8gwh7WRWMk
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) October 2, 2026
The Broward Sheriff’s Office affidavit says VIP Rips customer service manager Hannah Newman learned on Sept. 30 that a collector wanted expedited shipping for a Cooper Flagg card the customer had purchased. Newman attempted to locate the card but could not find it.
Newman then spoke with employee Tyler Irwin, who had previously handled the card. Irwin told her he had left it to be sorted and identified Otoni as the next employee who handled it.
Newman reviewed surveillance footage from a camera positioned directly above Otoni’s workstation. According to the affidavit, the recording showed Otoni seated at his desk with the Cooper Flagg card beneath the desk near his right leg. After Otoni moved away from the area, the card could no longer be seen.
Irwin contacted Otoni about the missing card. The affidavit says Otoni admitted taking it and later left it inside his mailbox, where Irwin retrieved it. VIP Rips reported the card’s value at approximately $3,500.
Three More Cards Were Recovered After the Cooper Flagg Card
After being told the incident would be investigated further, Otoni allegedly disclosed that he possessed three additional VIP Rips cards.
Irwin went to Otoni’s residence and recovered a Lionel Messi card valued at approximately $2,200, another Messi card valued at about $70 and an ungraded card autographed by Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo valued between approximately $1,500 and $2,000.
The affidavit places the combined reported value of those three cards and the original Cooper Flagg card between approximately $7,270 and $7,770.
Deputies Say Six More Cards Were Recovered From Otoni’s Bedroom
During the subsequent investigation, Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies located Otoni and advised him of his Miranda rights. The probable-cause affidavit says Otoni confessed to the theft and told investigators he possessed additional trading cards.
The affidavit says Otoni consented to investigators recovering cards from his bedroom. Deputies recovered six additional cards that Newman identified as belonging to VIP Rips.
The group included a 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Trevor Lawrence card valued at approximately $1,900, a 2023 Panini Mosaic Micro Mosaic Anthony Edwards card valued at $1,500 and a 2024 Bowman U Now Caitlin Clark Collegiate Campaign autographed card valued at $1,500.
Investigators also recovered a 2025 Topps Chrome Cooper Flagg Blue X-Fractor card valued at approximately $2,200, a 2023 Panini One and One Downtown Variation Dirk Nowitzki card valued at approximately $2,300 and an ungraded Panini Prizm World Cup International Ink Raphinha autographed card valued at approximately $50.
The six cards recovered from the bedroom had a combined reported value of approximately $9,450. Together with the four cards recovered earlier, the affidavit places the total reported value of all 10 cards between approximately $16,720 and $17,220.
Court Record Shows an Active Third-Degree Felony Case
The Broward court record identifies the prosecution as State of Florida v. Maximo Viani Otoni, case 26011770CF10A. The felony case was filed Oct. 2 and remained active when the record was printed Oct. 5.
The clerk’s record lists one third-degree felony grand-theft charge and identifies the Broward Sheriff’s Office as the filing agency. It records Otoni’s arrest date as Oct. 1.
Florida’s theft statute classifies property valued at $10,000 or more but less than $20,000 within the third-degree grand-theft tier. A standard third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison under the state’s sentencing law. Those are statutory maximums upon conviction, not a sentence imposed in this case.
A separate probable-cause order filed Oct. 2 shows that a Broward County magistrate found probable cause on the grand-theft charge and set bond at $2,500.
The charge against Otoni remains an allegation. The current Broward court record does not show a conviction or final disposition.