Gen Con: A Popular Board and Card Game Convention
Gen Con is an annual board and card game convention that has been held in Indiana for over 50 years. It has gained popularity in recent years, attracting a growing number of visitors. However, not all attendees have the best intentions.
Incident at Gen Con: Thomas Dunbar and Andrew Giaume accused of stealing $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards
During the most recent Gen Con event, an unfortunate incident occurred involving two individuals named Thomas Dunbar and Andrew Giaume. These two men allegedly stole Magic: The Gathering cards worth a staggering $300,000. If found guilty, they could face fines of up to $10,000 and a prison sentence of up to 6 years.
The Theft: Sneaking into a card dealer’s warehouse space
Dunbar and Giaume, who were co-workers showcasing their Castle Assault board game at the convention, took advantage of the opportunity to sneak into a card dealer’s warehouse space to execute their plan. However, their actions did not go unnoticed, as surveillance cameras captured their every move. The incriminating footage has been handed over to the police, clearly showing the two individuals carrying a full pallet of merchandise to their car.
The Stolen Merchandise: Tracked to New York
Following the theft, the stolen merchandise was discovered in New York, where the perpetrators intended to resell it to a third party. Charges have been filed against Dunbar and Giaume, as all the evidence points towards their involvement. Alongside the surveillance videos, a lawyer’s testimony reveals that one of their customers claims to have been coerced into purchasing the stolen pallet for $4,000. The customer’s defense centers around the argument that they were unaware of the true value of the goods and, therefore, perceived the transaction as legal. However, given the circumstances and the assessment of the Marion County Indiana District Attorney, the evidence guarantees that the two thieves will face criminal consequences.
Magic Cards: Soaring in Value
One could speculate that the motivation behind this theft was financial, considering the high values that some Magic cards have recently reached. One particularly notable example is the unique ring card, representing the ring from the famous Lord of the Rings saga, which was purchased by the artist Post Malone for a staggering two million dollars. In other games, certain rare cards, such as the first edition Charizards from the base set, can sell for several thousand dollars. More recently, the Disney card game Lorcana introduced the Frozen Elsa card, which commands a minimum price of €600 in its French version—a promising start for such a recently released card game.