A central Pennsylvania trading card dealer is accused of turning a family’s vintage Pokémon collection into personal profit.
Matthew Williamson, 34, of Bellefonte, was paid by a Lower Paxton Township family to submit their Pokémon cards for grading, according to police.
Instead, investigators say Williamson kept the cards and sold them for his own gain. The value of the cards was estimated between $2,000 and $30,000, depending on their graded value.
The charges are allegations. Williamson has not been convicted in the case.
The Charges Are Felony Counts
ABC27 reported that the case began with a family who trusted Williamson to handle a vintage Pokémon card collection. According to police, Williamson did not complete the arrangement as expected. Investigators say he kept the cards from the family and sold them for personal profit.
Williamson was charged June 4 with theft by deception and deceptive business practices. Both charges are third-degree felonies, according to the report.
The case is still pending, and no plea or conviction has been reported. Court records cited in local reporting list a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 2.
The Value Could Depend on the Missing Grading Outcome
Police gave a wide value range because grading can change what a vintage card is worth. A card’s condition, authenticity, and final grade can move its market value sharply, especially for older Pokémon cards.
Police said that the family also lost the chance to have the collection graded and valued through the process they paid for.
Collectors Should Document Cards Before Handing Them Over
Collectors who hand valuable cards to a dealer, shop, show vendor, or submission middleman should create a detailed record before the cards leave their possession.
Collectors should be cautious if a dealer refuses to provide a written intake form, will not list each card separately, avoids giving submission tracking details, misses promised return dates, changes the explanation for delays, or asks customers to communicate only through informal messages.
For higher-value cards, collectors can also consider submitting directly to a grading company, using a reputable shop with clear written procedures, or splitting large collections into smaller tracked submissions.
Suspected trading-card theft, deceptive business practices, or failure to return consigned property should be reported to local law enforcement.