It’s official: the alleged Gen Con Magic Card thieves have been charged and are slated for a court hearing after the heist in Indianapolis.
Thomas Dunbar, 40, and Andrew Giaume, 41, face level 5 felony theft charges by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly pilfering Magic: The Gathering cards valued at over $195,000 (replacement value being $157,000) as reported by WRTV News.
The theft took place in the vendor area at Gen Con 2023 before the convention started.
Hailing from New York, the pair are accused of using a pallet jack to make off with a pallet containing 115 cases of the said cards, predominantly Commander Masters products, initially believed to be worth upwards of $300,000.
These cards belonged to Pastimes Inc., a notable event manager and retailer from the Midwest given the responsibility of orchestrating all the Magic: The Gathering events at Gen Con.
Surveillance cameras captured the men leaving a parking lot in a rented red Nissan Murano with the stolen pallet. According to detectives, Dunbar’s identification became evident due to a t-shirt he donned, promoting Castle Assault – a board game developed and released by both men in 2015.
Far be it from me to offer advice to potential criminals, but I probably wouldn’t wear something that is basically your own personal branding while committing a crime. Although, maybe this was a public stunt to get some attention on it.
The duo had acquired four-day passes for Gen Con. Before the event, they modified the names on their event badges to “Scott Fischer” and “Ashriel Lockheart.” Since they weren’t official vendors at the event, their presence in that area was unauthorized when the theft occurred.
The fact that they snagged the cases on a pallet jack and then transferred them to another cart, and nobody questioned them, should be a lesson in confidence to everyone reading this.
In the aftermath of the theft and during the card retrieval investigation, IMPD detectives were contacted by a New York-based attorney, who asserted, through a signed affidavit, that an anonymous client of his had been pressured into buying the stolen goods from an individual named “Jeff” for $4,000.
The client only realized the cards were stolen after encountering the news online.
To be fair, that’s also what I would say if someone questioned the 115 boxes of Commander Masters I got for $4,000, so good move there for sure.
The missing cards were subsequently retrieved with the collaboration of the New York State Police.
The court hearing for Dunbar and Giaume was slated for September 6, 2023.
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
