Arrest made in theft of rare sports cards worth $2M
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (WJW) — Police have arrested a man in the theft of more than $2 million worth of vintage collectible baseball cards last month.
The 54 cards had been shipped by a California auction house to a Strongsville hotel in April, ahead of the Strongsville Sports Collectors Convention that month, one of the largest expos for rare and vintage sports cards, FOX 8 News previously reported.
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Police records show the cards were dropped off at the hotel, but they were reported stolen before making it to the show at the Brunswick Arena, which was next door.
Police officers who executed a search warrant on Thursday, May 23, at a home along Roanoke Avenue in Cleveland recovered 52 of the 54 stolen cards, according to a Friday news release from Strongsville police.
Jacob Paxton, 27, of Brunswick, was arrested and charged in the theft. He’s now facing a first-degree felony count of theft, according to police.
Rich Mueller, editor of Sports Collector Daily, first reported the arrest.
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The two cards that are still missing are:
Lot 11: A 1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson card with a Professional Sports Authenticator grade of 5 and a certificate No. 90586922
Lot 25: A 1941 Play Ball No. 14 Ted Williams card in near-mint to mint condition with a PSA grade of 8 and a certificate No. 05159693
Anyone with information on the missing cards is urged to call Strongsville police at 440-580-3247 and reference report No. 2024-000693.
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