
Two individuals recently found themselves entangled in a high-stakes crime drama involving the theft of over $2 million worth of vintage baseball cards from a Best Western hotel in Strongsville, Ohio. In a recent court appearance at the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Jacob Paxton, the 27-year-old hotel employee, formally declared his plea of not guilty to charges of aggravated theft amounting to $1.5 million or more, along with tampering with evidence. On the other hand, his associate, 50-year-old Jason Bowling, pled not guilty to the offense of receiving stolen property.
The plot thickened as the investigation unfolded, revealing that the stolen goods in question were no ordinary baseball cards but a collection of 54 rare vintage cards valued at an astonishing $2,123,447. The saga began when a FedEx delivery person mistakenly dropped off the valuable package at the Best Western on April 17, intended for Memory Lane Inc., a company participating in a sports card conference nearby. However, the cards mysteriously vanished before the rightful recipient could claim them.
Upon the alarming discovery of the missing package, Strongsville police sprung into action, unraveling a scheme involving Paxton’s pilfering of the cards and their subsequent relocation to Bowling’s residence in Cleveland. A search warrant executed at Bowling’s home on May 23 led to the recovery of 52 of the 54 stolen cards, but two elusive gems, a 1909 Ramly Walter Johnson and a 1941 Ted Williams card, still remained at large.
As the investigation continues to unfold, authorities are urging anyone with pertinent information about the whereabouts of the missing cards to come forward and assist in the case. Concerned citizens are encouraged to reach out to the Strongsville Police Department at 440.580.3247, mentioning report #2024-000693 to provide any leads that could help recover the remaining stolen baseball cards and bring closure to this captivating tale of grand larceny in the world of sports memorabilia.