SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — If you wanna be the very best, like no one ever was, you know you have to collect all the Pokémon you can. But for some people in northern Utah, their efforts were allegedly squashed after they say they purchased fake Pokémon cards.
Hely Alejandra Hayward, 29, was arrested on Tuesday for theft charges, but is being held without bail after investigators stated this wasn't her first arrest for similar charges.
According to court documents, on January 28th, an officer with the Saratoga Springs Police Department were called by a victim in West Valley City after he allegedly bought counterfeit Pokémon cards.
The victim told police that he saw a listing on an online marketplace for the cards and communicated with the seller through the marketplace. The victim stated he met the seller at a Costco in Saratoga Springs.
Investigators say the victim recalled the seller showing up in a white Mazda CX-5. In the transaction, the victim allegedly paid $3,000 in cash for two graded trading cards and a men's watch.
However, when the victim sold the items on eBay, they had to be authenticated at a California facility. When the facility received the cards, they found them to be counterfeit and returned the cards to him.
Saratoga Springs police met with the alleged seller, Hayward, who told them that she sold the Pokémon cards that day but denied knowing they were fake.
Hayward was arrested on Tuesday and faces a theft charge for something between $1,500 and $5,000 in value. However, she is being held without bail as police say this is her third arrest for similar charges.
On December 15, 2025, Hayward was arrested for theft charges after selling a victim $4,500 in Pokémon cards. When the victim later inspected the cards, they were found to be counterfeit, and the victim stated they couldn't get in contact with Hayward.
On January 6, 2026, Hayward was again arrested for a theft charge after selling another victim what was later deemed to be a counterfeit Pokémon card for $1,500.
In relation to the two previous charges, the court allowed Hayward to be released with conditions, including not committing any criminal offenses.
She is now being held without bail.
