Two individuals were sentenced on Monday for their roles in the theft of rare baseball cards worth $2.1 million from a Strongsville hotel. Jacob R. Paxton, a 28-year-old from Brunswick who worked at the hotel, pleaded guilty to aggravated theft in October. He received a sentence of four to six years in prison, followed by two to five years of community control. Paxton was also ordered to pay over $89,000 in restitution. As part of his plea deal, a charge of tampering with evidence was dismissed.

The theft took place when the collectibles, sent by vintage sports card dealer Memory Lane Inc., arrived at the Best Western Plus hotel on April 17. The cards were supposed to be delivered to a sports card expo at the Brunswick Auto Mart Arena. Prosecutors alleged that Paxton, being an employee of the hotel, rifled through the packages and made off with the valuable cards.

During the court proceedings, Paxton expressed remorse for his actions, 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 from Cleveland. Bowling’s attorney, Jaye Schlachet, argued that Bowling thought the cards had been discovered in a dumpster and was unaware of their stolen status.

Authorities conducted a search of Bowling’s residence on May 23, recovering all but two of the stolen cards. The investigation utilized phone records, surveillance footage, GPS data, and witness testimonies to establish the involvement of both individuals in the crime.

Bowling pleaded guilty in October to receiving stolen property and was sentenced to one year of community control.

The theft not only had financial repercussions but also damaged the reputation of Memory Lane Inc. According to a victim impact statement, the incident caused the company to lose a $2 million loan, $100,000 in interest, and tarnished its image.

Despite the recovery efforts, two cards remain missing from the stolen collection:

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.

Individuals with information regarding the whereabouts of the missing cards are encouraged to contact Strongsville police at 440-580-3247, citing report No. 2024-000693.

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