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Key Takeaways

• An Indiana collector alleges a consignment shop failed to return approximately $44,000 in Pokémon cards.
• A separate proposed class action challenges PSA’s trading card grading practices.
• A federal fraud conviction illustrates how forged grades can inflate the prices collectors pay.

By Samuel López | USA Herald

Pokémon cards can carry substantial financial value—and disputes over their sale, safekeeping, and authentication are reaching courtrooms. Two civil lawsuits filed this summer highlight different points of vulnerability for collectors: entrusting valuable cards to a seller and relying on professional grades that help determine resale prices.

In Indiana, a collector alleges a consignment shop failed to return tens of thousands of dollars in Pokémon cards. In Maryland, a separate proposed class action accuses a major grading business of deceptive practices affecting the broader trading card market. Both involve allegations that have yet to be established in the reporting reviewed for this article.

Collector Alleges $44,000 in Cards Went Missing

Valentin Ortiz filed a lawsuit June 22, 2026, in Tippecanoe County against Lafayette consignment shop Card Haven and owners Aaron Hawkins and Thomas Hogan.

According to the Lafayette Journal & Courier, Ortiz entrusted approximately 500 Pokémon cards to the business for sale. The lawsuit alleges the shop sold some cards and paid him $5,000.

Ortiz subsequently sought the collection’s return after he could not reach the owners or another representative. Although some cards were returned, he alleges roughly 86% were missing and unaccounted for, with the missing cards valued at approximately $44,000.

The reported claims include breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, theft, and unjust enrichment. Ortiz also alleges the defendants disregarded a contractual mediation provision.

Hawkins and Hogan declined to comment to the newspaper. Its June 26 report stated that no hearings had been scheduled at that time. Source: Journal & Courier, republished by AOL

PSA Lawsuit Challenges Grading Practices

A separate lawsuit filed July 28, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland targets Professional Sports Authenticator, known as PSA, and parent company Collectors Holdings.

Plaintiff Nicholas Funk alleges inconsistent grading, undisclosed error rates, and distorted population reports—figures showing how many cards have received particular grades. His proposed class action includes civil claims under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.

The dispute concerns trading cards broadly rather than Pokémon alone. It challenges services central to transactions in which buyers rely on a card’s assigned condition grade when deciding what to pay. The lawsuit seeks financial relief and an injunction against the alleged practices. Source: ICv2

Funk also alleges conflicts between grading cards and participating in businesses connected to their pricing and resale. WMAR reported that PSA had not responded to the allegations when its story was published. That does not establish the company’s current litigation position. Source: WMAR

Forged Grades Produce a Federal Conviction

A separate criminal prosecution demonstrates the financial consequences of fraudulent grades.

On January 28, 2026, a federal jury convicted Anthony Curcio of wire fraud and conspiracy involving sports and Pokémon cards bearing forged PSA grades.

According to the Justice Department, Curcio and co-defendant Iosif Bondarchuk sold or attempted to sell cards through online marketplaces, shops, shows, and in-person trades. The scheme involved more than $2 million in attempted losses. Lower-value cards were presented as carrying higher grades to command inflated prices.

This prosecution concerned forged PSA labels; it is distinct from Funk’s allegations against PSA’s own business practices. Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Together, the cases place the mechanics of collectible transactions under scrutiny: who holds the cards, how sales are accounted for, and whether the condition represented to a buyer can be trusted.