A man in Georgia, United States (US), spent US$57,789 (Rp 818 million) in Covid funds for Pokemon cards. The Georgia state police said the man, named Vinath Oudomsine, had lied in his application for federal coronavirus relief assistance. The U.S. government charged Oudomsine on Oct. 19 in federal court in Georgia. Federal prosecutors say Oudomsine used most of the money he earned to buy Pokemon cards.
Vinath Oudomsine also allegedly made false statements about the number of employees at his company and the gross income of his company when he applied for small business assistance through the CARES Act in July 2020. Around August, the SBA deposited $85,000 (around Rp1.211.364.750,00) into a bank account in Oudomsine's name, according to court documents state. Federal prosecutors said Oudomsine used most of the $57,789 to buy Pokemon cards.
The court filing provides few details about the alleged purchase of Pokémon cards, such as the "Pocket Monster", the court stated that Oudomsine purchased it on or around January 8, 2021. Collectible Pokémon game cards can fetch huge amounts of money this year. The unopened first-edition Pokémon card box sold for more than $400,000, according to the Washington Post.