Man charged with using taco seasoning packets to steal trading cards

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A man in Florida is facing theft charges for stealing trading cards from multiple Target stores. Investigators say he used 99-cent taco seasoning packets to bypass security measures.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Keith Wallis, 39, of Palm Beach. Authorities allege Wallis committed numerous thefts between July 2025 and February 2026.

Investigators say the group stole thousands of dollars from several Target stores as part of a coordinated plan.

Suspect accused of swapping taco seasoning for trading cards

The Attorney General’s Office reports that Wallis chose a lot of trading cards and the same amount of taco seasoning before using the self-checkout lane.

According to officials, he only scanned and paid for the inexpensive seasoning packets, but took the trading cards without paying for them, meaning he only covered a small part of the total value of the items.

Officials said the man had made $40,000 from reselling the stolen goods online.

Police say Wallis is suspected of stealing from Target stores in Florida about 75 times, resulting in over $10,000 in losses. They also claim he made close to $40,000 by reselling trading cards online.

The report doesn’t say what kind of trading cards were taken. Target sells many different types, including sports cards, and popular franchises like Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Pokemon. Pokemon cards, in particular, are often resold at much higher prices than they’re worth.

I was shocked to hear that Michael Wallis is facing some really serious charges! Apparently, he’s been accused of stealing a lot of stuff in a coordinated way – it’s being called ‘organized retail theft’ – and then selling it. On top of that, they’re also saying he’s being investigated for money laundering. If he’s convicted on everything, he could be looking at up to 90 years in prison, which is just crazy to think about!

Although it’s unclear if Pokémon cards were involved in this specific incident, thefts of these cards are happening more and more often. Just last February, thieves broke into a store by tunneling through a wall and made off with cards valued at thousands of dollars.

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2026-03-01 15:18