Two individuals, Jacob Paxton, 27, and Jason Bowling, 50, stood before the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas in Strongsville, both entering not guilty pleas to charges related to the theft of over $2 million worth of vintage baseball cards from a local Best Western hotel.
Paxton, who worked at the hotel, faces allegations of aggravated theft exceeding $1.5 million and tampering with evidence. The court set his bond at $50,000, and his next court appearance is slated for July 15. On the other hand, Bowling pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving stolen property, with a bond set at $100,000 and a court date scheduled for the same day.
The elaborate heist came to light when a FedEx delivery person unknowingly dropped off a package containing 54 valuable vintage baseball cards with a jaw-dropping estimated worth of $2,123,447 at the Strongsville hotel on April 17. The intended recipient of this parcel was Memory Lane Inc., a company participating in a sports card conference next door.
A startling twist in the tale unfolded when a representative from Memory Lane Inc. arrived the following day to collect the package and found it mysteriously missing, triggering a full-scale investigation by local law enforcement.
During the course of their inquiries, Strongsville police uncovered that Paxton had meticulously sifted through various deliveries received by the hotel and subsequently spirited away the precious baseball cards to Bowling’s residence in Cleveland.
The investigation reached a significant breakthrough on May 23 when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bowling’s property, leading to the recovery of 52 out of the 54 stolen cards. Unfortunately, two distinctive cards are still at large: the 1909 Ramly Walter Johnson card and the 1941 Ted Williams card, leaving a baffling mystery lingering over the case.
In a bid to solicit public assistance, authorities have urged anyone with relevant information regarding the whereabouts of the missing cards to reach out to the Strongsville Police Department at 440.580.3247, citing report #2024-000693.
The unfolding saga of this high-stakes baseball card heist has cast a spotlight on the world of rare collectibles and the lengths some individuals are willing to go to acquire them, promising further developments as the investigation continues to unravel the intricacies of this audacious crime.
