In a tale befitting a Hollywood heist movie, two men have been sentenced for their roles in the sensational theft of rare baseball cards worth $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, admitted to aggravated theft in October. He received a sentence of four to six years behind bars, followed by two to five years of community control. Paxton was also ordered to pay over $89,000 in restitution for his involvement in the crime. As part of his plea deal, a charge of tampering with evidence was dropped.
The daring heist took place when a shipment of collectible cards from vintage sports card dealer Memory Lane Inc. arrived at the Best Western Plus hotel on April 17. The cards were destined for a sports card expo at the Brunswick Auto Mart Arena nearby. Prosecutors alleged that Paxton, an employee at the hotel, seized the opportunity to pilfer the valuable cards from the delivered packages.
In his court appearance, Paxton expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the harm caused. He shared, “I just want to say that I’m very sorry to the victim, and this doesn’t show who I am… I should have been honest from the start.” Paxton confessed to withholding information from detectives initially out of fear.
After the theft, Paxton entrusted the stolen cards to Jason Bowling, a 51-year-old from Cleveland. Bowling’s attorney maintained that his client was under the impression that the cards had been discovered in a dumpster and was unaware of their stolen origins.
Authorities conducted a search of Bowling’s residence on May 23, leading to the recovery of all but two of the stolen cards. Through meticulous investigative work involving phone records, surveillance footage, GPS data, and witness testimony, both men were tied to the crime.
Bowling pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property in October and was sentenced to one year of community control for his role in the scheme.
The repercussions of the heist were severe for Memory Lane Inc., causing substantial financial losses and reputational damage to the esteemed sports card dealer. As outlined in a victim impact statement, the company suffered the loss of a $2 million loan, $100,000 in interest, and endured a tarnished reputation as a result of the incident.
Despite the recovery efforts, two of the stolen cards remain unaccounted for:
– A 1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson card graded PSA 5, Certificate No. 90586922
– A 1941 Play Ball No. 14 Ted Williams card in near-mint-to-mint condition, graded PSA 8, Certificate No. 05159693
Individuals with information regarding the whereabouts of these missing cards are encouraged to reach out to the Strongsville police at 440-580-3247, citing report No. 2024-000693.
