Florida man arrested for using cheap taco seasoning packets to steal $40,000 worth of trading cards from Target

A Florida man has been arrested after police say he used taco seasoning packets to steal nearly $40,000 worth of trading cards from Target stores across the state.Police said Keith Wallis, 39, of Palm Beach, carried out a series of thefts at Target stores from Miami to Orlando between July 2025 and February 2026. Investigators said he entered the store and selected large boxes of trading cards and cheap taco seasoning packets.While at the self-checkout, Wallis is accused of simply scanning the cheap seasoning packets and paying for them, then leaving the store with the valuable card box. After taking the goods, he made nearly $40,000 by selling the stolen trading cards online, primarily on eBay, authorities said.Target suffered more than $10,000 in losses from the alleged thefts, which included approximately 75 separate incidents, according to a press release from the Florida Attorney General’s Office. The cards Wallis allegedly targeted are often highly collectible and fetch high prices among buyers.Wallis was charged with organized retail theft, dealing in stolen property and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 90 years in prison in the Florida Department of Corrections, authorities said.Florida Attorney General James Usmeier said such schemes “will be punished to the severest extent permitted by law.”Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the investigation involved cooperation between county and state law enforcement, adding that those who profited from the thefts will be held accountable.Authorities also said Wallis was being investigated for similar thefts at other stores, including Walmart and Publix.