Two men found themselves in a sticky legal situation recently when they were accused of masterminding a grand heist of baseball cards worth over $2 million from a Best Western hotel in Strongsville. As the court drama unfolded in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, both defendants took a stance of innocence and pleaded not guilty.
Jacob Paxton, a 27-year-old employee at the hotel, faced charges of aggravated theft of $1.5 million or more, along with tampering with evidence. Pleading not guilty, he had his bond set at $50,000, preparing to face the next court hearing on July 15. On the other hand, the second defendant, 50-year-old Jason Bowling, denied the charge of receiving stolen property. His bond was set higher at $100,000, and like Paxton, he is scheduled to appear in court once again in mid-July.
The riveting tale continued as Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley disclosed the intricate details of the case. It all began when a FedEx employee made a routine delivery to the hotel on April 17, unknowingly bringing in a package containing a treasure trove of 54 vintage baseball cards valued at an astonishing $2,123,447. These rare cards were slated for Memory Lane Inc., a company participating in a sports card conference situated nearby.
However, the plot thickened as the intended recipient, a representative from Memory Lane Inc., arrived at the hotel the following day only to discover the package had mysteriously vanished. This alarming discovery set the wheels of justice in motion, prompting an immediate police inquiry into the peculiar disappearance of the prized baseball cards.
The investigation led the sharp-eyed Strongsville police to Paxton, who was found to have meticulously gone through multiple packages delivered to the hotel, ultimately pocketing the valuable baseball cards. As the breadcrumbs of crime led to Bowling’s doorstep in Cleveland, law enforcement swiftly obtained a search warrant and raided his residence on May 23. The outcome was a partial success as authorities managed to recover 52 out of the 54 stolen cards, but two elusive cards remained at large – a 1909 Ramly Walter Johnson card and a 1941 Ted Williams card.
In a bid to close this chapter of the escapade and reunite the stolen cards with their rightful owner, the Strongsville Police are appealing to the public for any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing cards. If you have any leads or tips, do not hesitate to reach out to the authorities at 440.580.3247, quoting report #2024-000693. Let’s ensure these precious relics find their way back to the world of baseball memorabilia where they truly belong.
