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Vinath Oudomsine, from Dublin, Georgia, has been accused by federal prosecutors of fraudulently applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The man claimed to be running a business, but reportedly spent most of the money on a rare Pokémon card instead.
As The Telegraph reports, Oudomsine is accused by authorities of applying for the loan last year, claiming he was running a small business that employed ten other people. The loans, which were available nationally and resulted in the government lending over $200 billion to American businesses, were designed to help cover the costs of “payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses,” during the worst months of the pandemic.
He was successful and was given $85,000. The only problem was that prosecutors allege he had no such business, and instead spent the bulk of the loan amount—$57,789—on a single Pokémon card. He has now been charged with wire fraud, and if found guilty, could be spending, “up to 20 years in federal prison,” and would also face a $250,000 fine.
In case you’re wondering, the exact identity of the card was not disclosed by prosecutors, but that kind of figure puts it in illustrious company; going by our own list published in July, this would make it the tenth most expensive Pokémon card purchase of all time, pricier than the $45,100 spent in December 2020 on Ex Deoxys GOLD STAR HOLO Rayquaza #107.
Source: Kotaku
