KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville man was sentenced in federal court on Monday to five years in prison for conspiring to transport stolen sports cards and other sports merchandise across state lines, according to the Eastern Kentucky District of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
38-year-old Jason Cates burglarized multiple sports card businesses in Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan and Georgia from Aug. 19, 2021, to Oct. 14, 2021, according to a plea agreement.
Cates took thousands of dollars of sports cards and other merchandise, transported it across state lines to his home in Knoxville, sold cards to buyers online and then kept the proceeds for his own financial benefit, the DA said.
In addition to his prison sentence, Cates must also pay $289,266 in restitution and $50,000 as part of a forfeiture money judgment.
Cates must serve 85% of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will have three years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office, according to the DA.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Knoxville Police Department, The Cartersville Police Department and the Lexington Police Department.