Two individuals faced the music this week after being involved in a high-stakes theft of rare baseball cards valued at a whopping $2.1 million from a Strongsville hotel earlier this year. Jacob R. Paxton, a 28-year-old from Brunswick who was employed at the hotel, was first in line for sentencing. In October, he took responsibility for the crime by pleading guilty to aggravated theft. As a result, Paxton received a four to six-year prison sentence, which will be followed by two to five years of community control. On top of this, he was also slapped with the responsibility of paying back a hefty sum of over $89,000 in restitution. Despite his cooperation, a second charge related to tampering with evidence was waived as part of his deal with the authorities.
The great card caper took place when the prized collectibles, dispatched by the esteemed vintage sports card dealer Memory Lane Inc., made their way to the Best Western Plus hotel on Royalton Road on April 17. The cards were slated to be showcased at a sports card expo hosted at the nearby Brunswick Auto Mart Arena. Prosecutors alleged that Paxton, who was an employee at the hotel in question, took advantage of his access to incoming packages and made off with these highly valuable cards.
When confronted in court, Paxton expressed remorse over his misdeeds. “I just want to say that I’m very sorry to the victim, and this doesn’t represent who I am,” he lamented. “I have a 2-year-old… it’s just me and him. I’ve been doing my very best. I wasn’t honest with the detectives at first about having [the cards]. I should have come clean. I was just scared.”
Following the theft, Paxton passed on the stolen goods to Jason Bowling, a 51-year-old resident of Cleveland. Bowling’s legal representative, Jaye Schlachet, argued that Bowling believed the cards had been salvaged from a dumpster and was unaware of their stolen origins.
On May 23, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and scoured Bowling’s residence, successfully recovering all but two of the pilfered cards. An array of evidence including phone records, surveillance tapes, GPS data, and testimonies from witnesses all played their part in linking both perpetrators to the wrongdoing.
Taking accountability for his role in the crime, Bowling pleaded guilty in October to the charge of receiving stolen property. He was handed down a sentence of one year of community control as a consequence of his actions.
The repercussions of this audacious heist were keenly felt by Memory Lane Inc., who suffered not just financial losses but also a blow to their reputation. The company reported losing a significant $2 million loan and an additional $100,000 in interest, with their standing in the industry taking a hit as well.
Despite some cards being recovered, two valuable pieces from the haul are still considered missing in action:
– A 1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson card bearing a PSA grade of 5 and certificate No. 90586922
– A 1941 Play Ball No. 14 Ted Williams card in near-mint-to-mint condition with a PSA grade of 8 and certificate No. 05159693
Strongsville police have made a public appeal for any information pertaining to the whereabouts of these elusive cards. Concerned individuals can reach out to them at 440-580-3247, citing report No. 2024-000693.