An employee, Maximo Viani Otoni, 22, has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $17,000 worth of high-end sports cards from VIP Rips, a trading card business in Deerfield Beach, Broward. The theft began when a customer requested expedited shipping for a Cooper Flagg trading card worth approximately $3,500, but it was missing. Surveillance footage showed Otoni with the card hidden under his desk, and he later admitted to taking it and hiding it in his mailbox.
Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that Otoni had additional cards at his home, including two Lionel Messi cards and a valuable autographed card depicting Neymar/Ronaldo. He confessed to stealing a total of six other cards from the business, with the total estimated value exceeding $17,000. The case highlights the ongoing issue of theft in collectible card businesses.
