Brothers who stole £62,000 worth of Pokémon cards are jailed

Published: 22:49, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 22:49, 16 August 2026 Two brothers who stole £62,000 worth of Pokémon cards have been jailed.  Shane Johnson, 37, and Keith Johnson, 33, burgled a gaming shop in Warrington and a gallery in Rugby.  The brothers targeted Celestial Collectables, a specialist retailer of rare and valuable Pokémon trading cards on April 8 this year.  The shop's door window had been smashed in and police found the collectibles 'strewn across the floor'. The pair used a crowbar to break through the door and then to smash shelving and cabinets within the shop.  Pokémon cards valued at £62,000 were taken and damage exceeding £3,000 was caused to the premises. The collectable cards, originally made for children, can be worth thousands, and in some cases millions of pounds.   A rare 'Pikachu Illustrator' card was sold by American influencer Logan Paul for $16,492,000 (£12million) in February after 41 days of bidding.  Shane Johnson, 37, of no fixed abode, received a sentence of 45 months and four weeks in jail after admitting to burglary with intent to steal Keith Johnson, 33, from Birmingham, faces 29 months behind bars The two brothers also used a crowbar to force themselves into The Graded Gallery in Rugby where they stole Pokémon cards and other items before zooming off in a Nissan X-Trail, according to Coventry Live. The combined value of stolen stock and damage exceeded £9,000 in the second burglary.  Police discovered a white Ford Transit van was involved in the burglary using CCTV footage but it was fitted with cloned number plates.  The van had previously been caught on camera parked outside Keith's address.  After the Ford Transit broke down, the pair moved the stolen items into a second vehicle, which was discovered close to Shane's home.  After their arrest, officers found the stolen property at Keith's address. DC Hannah Smith said: 'The overwhelming evidence collected through our extensive enquiries put them at both scenes giving them no choice but to plead guilty. Pokémon cards valued at £62,000 were taken and damage exceeding £3,000 was caused to the premises by the brothers 'The brothers will now have to pay the price for their part in their criminal Pokemon enterprise.' Shane Johnson, 37, of no fixed abode, received a sentence of 45 months and four weeks in jail at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday after admitting to burglary with intent to steal. Keith Johnson, 33, from Birmingham, faces 29 months behind bars after being convicted at the same court on July 2 after pleading guilty to the same charges as his brother.