An Iowan man was recently sentenced to four months in federal prison for wire fraud. Mitch William Gross defrauded his employer, Ruan Transportation Corporation, for over a year by using company credit cards for personal purchases. Among these were prepaid gift cards, gaming merchandise, and Pokemon cards, which he falsely presented as legitimate business expenses.
Gross concealed the fraud by submitting falsified receipts and expense reports, mischaracterizing the charges to avoid detection. The scheme totaled more than $140,000 in fraudulent purchases. In addition to prison time, Gross was ordered to pay over $146,000 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release. As is standard in the federal system, there is no parole.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal and investigated by the FBI and the Des Moines Police Department. The growing trend of collectible trading cards–particularly Pokemon cards–being linked to financial crimes has surged in recent years.
This is just the latest case in a string of related thefts. In the UK earlier this year, police uncovered a cache of stolen Pokemon cards worth over $330,000 during a raid near Manchester. In another incident in New Jersey, a former USPS employee admitted to stealing valuable trading cards and memorabilia from mail packages intended for an auction house.
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