An unusual heist at a small business in Charlotte County resulted in the theft of a rare Magic: The Gathering card, the owner said, is worth more than $1,000.
The thief stole the card from Paper & Pixels, a card shop, last Thursday. The card is one of only two of its kind in the world.
Matthew Weik, the owner of Paper & Pixels, said, "He asked me if he could do some trading on some cards just to get enough money for cigarettes."
"And while I was looking at the cards, he reached over the counter and pocketed $1,000 card from our case," Weik said.
Deputies identified the suspect as Christopher Pierce, who put the ultra-rare card in his lunchbox.
"He looked right directly in the camera when he did it," Weik said.
The stolen card is one of just two of its kind in the world with a pristine "10" grade, making it a significant loss for the small business.
"It was very, you know, you know, kind of hurt that someone would do it, but also just, like, annoyed," Weik said.
The store owner called deputies when he realized the card was stolen. Tracking Pierce down wasn't hard, as he had already traded at the shop before, so they had his information on file.
"Anyone thinking of stealing? We're always watching. We have cameras everywhere," Weik said.
Deputies arrested Pierce on Monday, and he is now facing grand theft charges.
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