Georgia man reportedly spent $57,000 of COVID-19 relief loan on single Pokémon card

A man in Georgia applied for a Covid-19 relief loan- only to allegedly spend it all on a single Pokémon card.

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan is meant to be used for business expenses, such as payroll, rent, and production expenses. The man will be prosecuted for misusing the funds.

Vinath Oudomsine, of Dublin, Georgia, applied for the loan in July 2020 (New York Post). He claimed he had a business, which had begun in 2018, where he was the sole proprietor. The alleged business had 10 employees and brought in $237,000 yearly. It’s unclear what kind of business he claimed to own.

After receiving the $85,000 loan deposit on August 4, 2020, he used $57,789 to purchase one Pokemon trading card (USA Today). He waited, however, until January 8, 2021 to make the purchase. Court documents didn’t specify the type of card it was, but Pokemon cards have historically gone for as high at $369,000.

Oudomsine is now being prosecuted. If proven guilty, he could face 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000.