A Utah woman has been charged with 24 felony counts after allegedly producing and selling counterfeit Pokémon cards, swindling thousands of dollars from collectors by passing them off as authentic—including some represented as PSA-graded—while authorities also discovered sports cards among other collectibles during a search of her home.
According to KSL-TV, Haley Alejandra Hayward, 29, of West Valley City, faces charges including theft by deception, forgery, communications fraud, and possessing forged writings/devices.
Victims reportedly paid significant sums—one $4,500 for 10 fake cards and another $1,500 for a single counterfeit.
She was arrested December 15 following a sting operation tied to one of the sales. A January 6 search warrant at her Saratoga Springs apartment uncovered equipment used to create fakes, such as laptops, printers, laminators, heat presses, cameras, 3D printing tools, and cardstock.
Authorities also discovered boxes of collectible cards—including sports cards, Pokémon cards, and other types—along with printed sheets of counterfeit cards (including fake high-value Pokémon like a counterfeit Illustrator card that would be worth over $1 million if genuine), fake currency props, and other forgery-related items.
