$40K sports card collection stolen

[RobertGT]

Just came across AP wire:

$40K of sports cards stolen outside Pa. casino
APNewsNow.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — State police are looking for whoever stole $40,000 worth of sports collectible cards from a van parked at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

State gaming enforcement officers tell the Erie Times-News (http://bit.ly/xaPoqE ) that the suspects smashed the window of a van owned by Joseph Hocevar, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The cards were reported stolen about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Police did not immediately say why the man had the cards with him at the time. But authorities believe someone in a gold coupe with tinted windows followed him to the casino and stole the cards while he was inside.

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Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com

[dstraate]

Insurance scam?

[brianp-beme]

I think you would need more than just a van to carry $40,000 worth of late 80's/early 90's cards. Perhaps more like a semi trailer load.

Brian

[jimq]

I live a couple miles from that casino, it's a couple tenths of a mile from one interstate and 4 or so miles from another. Big parking lot in front far from the casino and not really watched at all. It would be fairly easy to break into a car and get away fast.

The victim owns or owned grand slam sports cards in chagrin falls, southeast of cleveland and about an hour away from the casino.

I guess if he had new boxes of shiny expensive stuff out in the open, visible from outside the van, it could happen. Gets dark here way before the time it was reported.