New York Man Arrested in Wisconsin in North Carolina Pokémon Card Fraud Case

A New York City man wanted in a Craven County fraud investigation involving Pokémon cards was arrested in Wisconsin on September 2 and booked into the Milwaukee County Jail.

Jeancarlos Castellanos, 27, now faces 11 felony counts filed by two Eastern North Carolina agencies. WITN, citing deputies, reported that the case involves alleged credit card fraud involving Pokémon cards. WNCT reported that the Craven County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s assistance on August 12 in identifying a suspect wanted in a fraud case involving Pokémon cards.

Craven County and New Bern Issued Separate Warrants

The case surfaced publicly with that August 12 appeal, when the sheriff’s office asked for help identifying a man wanted for questioning in a fraud case. Deputies described him as driving a black Cadillac Escalade with a fictitious registration, WCTI reported. A Craven County warrant followed on August 20, according to WCTI. WITN publicly reported his identification on August 28.

The Craven County warrant charges Castellanos with one count each of felony identity theft, felony financial card theft, felony obtaining property by false pretense and felony conspiracy. The New Bern Police Department issued its own warrant, adding two counts each of the first three offenses plus one count of conspiracy.

Combined, the reported charges total 11 felony counts:

• Three counts of identity theft
• Three counts of financial card theft
• Three counts of obtaining property by false pretense
• Two counts of conspiracy

In their September 3 reports, WITN and WCTI said authorities expected additional charges.

Deputies Suspect Similar Crimes in Other States

The sheriff’s office said Castellanos is also suspected of similar crimes spanning from Florida to Pennsylvania, WCTI reported — a stretch of the East Coast well beyond the two North Carolina agencies that have charged him. That remains an allegation from investigators, not a filed case: the cited reports do not identify additional charges or convictions connected to those out-of-state allegations.

The investigation arrives amid growing scrutiny over trading card security and retail card thefts across the country, coming just days after Pennsylvania authorities released photos in an investigation into the theft of an $8,000 One Piece card.

Milwaukee Jail Record Lists an Extradition Hold

WITN and WCTI reported September 3 that Castellanos was being held pending extradition to North Carolina. When checked September 8, Milwaukee County’s official custody locator continued to list him in custody, with an extradition-related case and a hold associated with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.

Castellanos is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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