Posted By:
Judson HamlinI think the threads that have come out of this theft have shown what is possible when we, as a community of collectors and dealers, step up to help law enforcement. I don't know of many detectives who would not treat the theft of memorabilia or cards as seriously as any other stolen item, be it a GPS unit or jewelry. What is most frustrating for law enforcement is not having access to accurate descriptions of the stolen items, such as grading co. serial numbers, or at least some kind of spreadsheet listing what is stolen. Given that info, detectives can go to pawn shops, card dealers, flea markets and investigate and hopefully solve the crime. The more specific information they have, the more likely it is that they can obtain a search warrant or arrest warrant for a defendant, or at least have some justification to sit a suspect down and ask them questions.
On a related note, if a gypsy "family" was behind the theft, it would not surprise me. In fact, given the age of the collector, he would seem to be a prime target for these groups. They often work an area with a particular scam to gain entry to homes of the elderly and grab what they can in short order, or otherwise gain access to a home via a home health aide or other means for a more thorough criminal fleecing of their intended victim. Just some thoughts, and encouragement to be careful and aware.