Jacob R. Paxton, a 28-year-old man from Brunswick, faced the consequences of his actions in court on Monday. He found himself entangled in a web of crime that involved the theft of a collection of rare baseball cards valued at an astonishing $2.1 million from a Strongsville hotel.
Paxton, who was employed at the hotel, accepted his guilt in October for the charge of aggravated theft. The court sentenced him to spend four to six years behind bars, followed by a period of two to five years under community control. As part of his plea agreement, a charge of evidence tampering was dropped. Moreover, Paxton was also obligated to repay over $89,000 in restitution for the stolen goods.
The elaborate heist took place when a shipment of these precious collectibles, dispatched by the prestigious vintage sports card dealer Memory Lane Inc., arrived at the Best Western Plus hotel located along Royalton Road on April 17. The intended destination for these prized possessions was the sports card expo at the Brunswick Auto Mart Arena nearby. Investigators revealed that Paxton, being an employee at the hotel, took advantage of his position to pilfer the valuable cards from the incoming packages.
During his court appearance, Paxton expressed remorse for his actions by stating, “I just want to say that I’m very sorry to the victim, and this doesn’t show who I am. I have a 2-year-old … it’s just me and him. I’ve been doing my very best. I wasn’t honest with the detectives at first that I had [the cards]. I should have been. I was just scared.”
Following the theft, Paxton handed over the stolen cards to Jason Bowling, a 51-year-old resident of Cleveland. Bowling’s lawyer, Jaye Schlachet, argued that his client had mistakenly believed the cards were discarded in a dumpster and was unaware of their stolen status.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Bowling’s residence on May 23, where they successfully recovered all but two of the stolen cards. The investigation was supported by an array of evidence, including phone records, surveillance footage, GPS data, and testimonies, which established the involvement of both individuals in the criminal activity.
In a separate legal proceeding, Bowling admitted guilt in October to the charge of receiving stolen property and was sentenced to a year of community control as his punishment.
The fallout from this audacious heist extended beyond the individuals involved, causing significant damage to the financial standing and reputation of Memory Lane Inc. According to a victim impact statement, the ordeal led to the company losing out on a $2 million loan opportunity and incurring an additional $100,000 in losses due to missed interest payments, besides tarnishing its once-pristine reputation.
Among the stolen cards, two still elude recovery:
1. A 1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson card with a PSA grade of 5 and certificate No. 90586922
2. A 1941 Play Ball No. 14 Ted Williams card in near-mint-to-mint condition with a PSA grade of 8 and certificate No. 05159693
To aid in the search for these missing prized possessions, individuals with any pertinent information are encouraged to reach out to the Strongsville police at 440-580-3247, making reference to report No. 2024-000693.