Key Takeaways
- Fairfax County police officer Scott Abram allegedly altered a barcode and shoplifted Magic: The Gathering cards from a Target while on duty and in uniform.
- Investigators linked Abram to another suspected Target theft four hours later and charged him with two misdemeanor shoplifting counts.
- Abram resigned after the department placed him on administrative leave, but police said their internal review would continue.
A Virginia cop allegedly walked into Target in full uniform, tampered with a barcode, and left with Magic: The Gathering cards he had not fully paid for. That alone would have been a bizarre end to Scott Abram’s 20-plus-year law enforcement career, but investigators say the 44-year-old then surfaced at another Target just four hours later in connection with a second suspected theft.
The first incident reportedly happened around 1 p.m. on Sept. 22 at a Target in Burke. According to WJLA, Abram concealed one product’s barcode with a cheaper item’s barcode before heading through self-checkout. He allegedly paid for one item and took both. Investigators said Abram was on duty as a Fairfax County police officer when it happened.
By approximately 5 p.m., Abram was off duty and inside the Target at Springfield Mall, where loss-prevention workers reported another alleged shoplifting incident. The retailer alerted police the next day.
Detectives charged him on Oct. 8 with two counts of misdemeanor shoplifting and released him on criminal summonses. Court records classify the accusations as shoplifting or altering merchandise valued at less than $1,000.
Abram had most recently worked as a school resource officer at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, prompting police to notify Fairfax County Public Schools about the investigation. He was placed on administrative leave before resigning, but Fairfax County Police said his departure would not end its internal review.
Chief Kevin Davis delivered an unusually blunt rebuke after the charges were announced. “I am disheartened that a police officer has betrayed the public trust with these intentional acts of criminal misconduct,” Davis said. “It is unacceptable, and I will not tolerate it.”
Magic: The Gathering has spent more than three decades turning illustrated pieces of cardboard into playable assets, coveted collectibles and, in extreme cases, seven-figure trophies. Most packs sold at Target cost between roughly $5 and $45.
At the opposite end of the market, an Alpha Black Lotus reportedly commanded $3 million in a 2024 private sale, while Post Malone paid $2 million for the one-of-one Lord of the Rings-themed One Ring card in 2023.
Collectors have demonstrated that Magic cards can be worth considerably more than their shelf price. Earlier this year, Minnesota real estate agent and former game-store owner Michael Russo offered to exchange a four-story brownstone for the right assortment of cards. The 3,675-square-foot property was also listed for $129,900.
“[Game pieces] are another form of currency—we refer to it as ‘luxury cardboard,’” Russo said.
