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The Greedy Report: 72-Year-Old Put GPS On Car For Pokémon

Published September 23, 2026 · Greedy TCG

Quick Answer: Kent Kubasta, a 72-year-old from Ohio, pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor for placing a GPS tracker on a delivery truck. He did this to track restock times for Pokémon TCG products, facing up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Why Did a 72-Year-Old Spy on a Delivery Truck?

Kent Kubasta, 72, from Ohio, placed a GPS tracker on a Walmart delivery truck. His goal was to track restock times for Pokémon TCG products to buy them first. For many collectors, this is not about nostalgia. It is about access. When a new set drops, the shelves clear in minutes. If you miss the moment, you wait weeks or months. Kubasta wanted to eliminate that wait. He wanted to be there before the box landed.

The scheme was discovered in June 2026 after the driver found the device. It was a simple piece of technology attached to a vehicle. But in the eyes of the law, it was an act of surveillance. Kubasta pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor for illegal stalking. He faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The penalty is significant for a hobbyist. It highlights how far collectors will go to secure a product.

Was the Information Actually Available Elsewhere?

Local card shop owner Randy Kendall noted the info was freely available on social media. This is the most frustrating part of the story. You do not need a hidden camera or a tracker to know when a truck arrives. TikTok and Instagram are full of restock announcements. Stores post their arrival times daily. Fans gather in comments to coordinate. The data was public. Kubasta chose to create a private, illegal feed instead of using the public one.

This disconnect is common in the current TCG market. The scarcity of sets like the 30th Celebration is driving extreme collector behavior. When supply is low and demand is high, desperation sets in. People look for an edge. They look for a way to beat the crowd. For Kubasta, the edge was physical proximity. For the rest of the community, the edge is speed and attention to social media. The law does not care about your frustration. It cares about your method.

What Does This Mean for the Pokémon TCG Market?

The desperation economy is pushing fans into criminal territory. We see this in every major release. Scalpers clear shelves in minutes, leaving fans empty-handed. This creates a feedback loop. The harder it is to buy, the more creative the methods become. Some use bots. Some use early morning lines. Others, like Kubasta, use technology to track logistics.

The scarcity of sets like the 30th Celebration continues to drive this behavior. Collectors want to own the new wave. They want to be part of the moment. But the moment is fleeting. The market rewards those who are ready. It punishes those who are reckless. Kubasta’s case is a warning. It shows that the cost of missing a restock can be higher than the cost of the cards themselves.

For the average fan, the lesson is clear. Use the tools that are free. Follow the stores. Watch the social media feeds. The information is there. You do not need to break the law to get it. The community is vast and connected. If you are not following the right accounts, you are working against yourself. The cards are not hiding. The stores are announcing them. The only thing hiding is the discipline to wait for the official announcement.

This story is not just about one man in Ohio. It is a snapshot of the current TCG landscape. It is a market where value is tied to availability. It is a market where emotion drives action. And it is a market where the line between dedication and obsession is getting thinner. As new sets continue to drop, expect to see more stories like this. The hunger is real. The methods are getting bolder. And the consequences are getting steeper.