Published August 19, 2025 1:13pm CDT
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FILE – A Pokemon Co. card collection in Random Lake, Wisconsin, U.S., on Thursday, July 1, 2021. (Credit: Sara Stathas/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An Iowa man was sentenced to four years in a federal prison after using his company’s credit card to buy Pokémon cards and other gaming items, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Over $140K in fraudulent charges
Dig deeper:
Mitch William Gross, 34, used his employer’s credit cards for personal use between September 2021 and October 2022, the DOJ said.
Gross was working for Ruan Transportation Corporation when he made the fraudulent charges.
He purchased prepaid gift cards, Pokémon cards and gaming items. Gross would submit falsified receipts and lie about the charges on his expense reports so it appeared to be legitimate business expenses.
By the numbers:
Gross ended up spending over $140,000 and was ordered to pay back $146,590.15 in restitution.
What’s next:
Once Gross completes his prison time, he will then be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a Department of Justice news release.
