New Bedford man arrested in connection with rare Pokémon card theft

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A New Bedford man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a rare set of Pokémon cards earlier this month.

Richard Jovahn Nunes, 24, has been charged with six counts of receiving stolen property over $1,200.

New Bedford police say that on July 8, they responded to a breaking and entering call at 1st Edition Collectibles. The collectible shop said that a masked suspect broke into their store on Purchase Street around 2:30 a.m. and stole several high-end items.

Those items included:

• 1999 Charizard 1st Edition (Grade 8.5) – Valued at $12,232
• 2006 EX Charizard #100 (Grades 9 - Beckett and PSA) – Valued at $10,600 each
• 2003 Skyridge Charizard (Grade 8.5) – Valued at $7,131
• 1999 Base 1st Edition Blastoise (Grade 7.5) – Valued at $2,000
• 1999 Charizard Holo Shadowless (Grade 9) – Valued at $5,535

Then, on Monday, July 21, New Bedford Detective Nicole Rodriguez, who was assigned to the investigation, was alerted to a tip that involved a potential lead to a suspect.

The tip described an individual who attempted to sell a Base Set Unlimited Green Wings Booster Box, valued at $30,000. This item matched the description of one of the items stolen from 1st Edition Collectibles.

Then, Detective Rodriguez recieved another report, this time from a store in Taunton, which reported a separate attempt to sell different rare items made by the same person.

New Bedford police said that “based on the rarity and value of the booster boxes involved, detectives determined that it was highly unlikely the same person would possess both without being connected to the original theft.”

Detectives later identified the individual as Nunes, who was taken into custody by Taunton police. At the time of his arrest, Nunes also had an active felony warrant out of Taunton District Court.

After his arrest, detectives searched a Dartmouth apartment where Nunes had been staying, which led to the discovery of a shoebox containing the previously described stolen Pokémon cards.

“I appreciate the support of the Taunton Police Department in helping bring this case to a successful resolution,” said Chief Jason Thody. “I also want to thank Detective Nicole Rodriguez for her solid investigative work and persistence in following up on leads that ultimately led to an arrest and the recovery of stolen property.”

The case remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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