Buzz
Instead of using the aid money to restore his company, Vinath Oudomsine dives into the hobby of collecting Pokémon cards and faces a well-deserved consequence.
The Pokémon brand has a history spanning over 20 years, featuring hundreds of Pokémon from various generations. It has undeniably asserted its allure in popular culture to the extent that even non-fans are aware of it.
Therefore, it's not surprising that products related to Pokémon almost always attract numerous attentions from dedicated fans. Occasionally, there are fervent fans willing to invest substantial amounts to acquire their favorite pocket monster-related items, even in the most negative ways. Recently, a young man living in the U.S. has been charged after manipulating a substantial amount of money to 'all in' on a Pokémon card.
In October last year, Vinath Oudomsine, a young man currently residing in Dublin, Georgia, USA, was charged with deception for obtaining over 85 thousand USD (approximately over 2 billion VND) in COVID-19 relief funds intended for business rescue. Subsequently, he used the majority of the funds, amounting to 57 thousand USD (1.3 billion VND), to purchase his favorite Pokémon card.
In his application, he claimed to have been running a business since 2018 with 10 employees and an annual revenue of 235 thousand USD. In August 2020, he received 85 thousand USD from the U.S. business management agency. By January, Oudomsine 'got caught' when he used the ill-gotten money to buy a Charizard card.
According to investigators, they have identified Oudomsine as the buyer of the ultra-rare Charizard card. This card, rated 9.5/10 gem, successfully traded on the Pokemon PWCC platform late last year. The Charizard card currently ranks 13th among the rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards in the current market.
The evidence is crystal clear, making it difficult for Vinath Oudomsine to escape the charges. As a result, the 31-year-old man was sentenced to 36 months in prison by the state court of Georgia.
