A man walked into a Clarksville trading card shop last month, handed over a credit card for a $2,500 graded Pokémon card, and walked out with it before anyone realized the payment was fake. Now Clarksville Police detectives are asking the public to help identify him.
According to the Clarksville Police Department, the individual entered Guild Vault Games at 2026 Fort Campbell Blvd. at approximately 6:43 p.m. on July 25 and purchased a Mega Charizard X ex card using a fraudulent credit card. As reported by Clarksville Now, police spokesman Scott Beaubien said the transaction initially appeared to clear, but was rejected several days later after a $2,500 chargeback was processed against it, negating the sale entirely.
A Slab Worth Chasing
The card at the center of the theft was not just any Charizard. Per the police report, it was encased in a hard plastic case from PSA, a collectible authentication company, and graded a Gem Mint 10 — a designation that, according to PSA's own grading standards, requires sharp corners, original gloss, and centering that stays within tight tolerances on both sides of the card. That kind of top-tier grading is exactly what drives up resale value in a hobby where condition is currency.
Reporting from CapRadio in April found that PSA Gem Mint 10 Pokémon cards can sell for two to five times more than raw or lower-graded copies of the same card, a dynamic that helps explain why a single slab could be priced at $2,500 and why it made an appealing target for a chargeback scheme. Guild Vault Games itself has built a reputation as a hub for the hobby, carrying a 4.4-star rating across more than 200 Google reviews as a spot for trading card games, sports memorabilia, and tabletop gaming, according to CardShows.io.
What Charges Could Follow
Tennessee law treats this kind of theft seriously once the dollar figure crosses a certain line. Under Tennessee Code § 39-14-105(a)(3), theft of property valued at $2,500 or more but less than $10,000 is a Class D felony, carrying two to 12 years in prison and fines up to $5,000, according to Justia Law. Separately, Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-118 makes it a distinct offense to use a credit or debit card with fraudulent intent while knowing the card is forged, stolen, revoked, or unauthorized, per FindLaw — a statute prosecutors in the state often pair with theft counts in cases like this one.
This is not the first time a high-value graded Charizard has drawn this kind of scheme. FOX6 News Milwaukee reported that a Wauwatosa, Wisconsin card shop was targeted in December 2025 when suspects fled with a $2,500 graded Charizard card after multiple credit cards were declined at the register. Hoodline also reported on a Queens man charged with felony credit card fraud and larceny after buying $13,400 in rare Pokémon cards from a Massachusetts shop with a fraudulent card, then attempting the same scheme in New Hampshire.
How to Help Identify the Suspect
Clarksville Police detectives are asking anyone who recognizes the individual in the photos attached to their post to come forward. Those with information can contact Detective N. Johnson at (931) 648-0656, ext. 5687, or submit an anonymous tip through Clarksville-Montgomery County Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can call the tipline at (931) 645-8477 or file a report online at p3tips.com/591, and those who remain anonymous are eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
Clarksville Police have leaned on the same tip network in other recent cases. Hoodline previously reported that anonymous Crime Stoppers tips carry cash rewards of up to $1,000 in felony cases, and last year the department sought help identifying suspects after a woman's purse was stolen at Governor's Square Mall and her cards were used to rack up $975 in nearby charges, in a case detailed in earlier mall theft coverage. It remains unclear whether the Charizard card has been listed for resale or whether the suspect attempted similar purchases at other shops in the region.
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