Gotta catch ‘em all: Man admits to €3,400 Pokémon card theft from San Ġwann

A man has admitted to stealing nearly €3,400 worth of Pokémon trading cards, giving a novel interpretation to the franchise’s famous “gotta catch ‘em all” slogan.

35 year-old Norwegian man Joar Are Lyngas, a self-employed content writer, was arraigned before magistrate Elaine Rizzo on Friday, accused of stealing boxes of the playing cards from a shop in San Gwann.

He pleaded guilty to charges of theft, aggravated by amount and knowingly participating in the sale of stolen goods.

The magistrate warned Lyngas at that point, that the crime of aggravated theft was punishable by imprisonment of between 13 months and seven years.

But after consulting with his lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace, the man confirmed his guilty plea.

In his submissions on punishment, prosecutor Nicholas Gaetano from the Office of the Attorney General requested that in addition to the punishment that would be inflicted, the court also impose a protection order to prohibit the man from returning to the shop in question.

Lyngas was condemned to imprisonment for two years, suspended for four and ordered to reimburse the value of the stolen items within six months. The requested protection order was also issued, valid for 12 months.