Blake Martinez, the retired NFL linebacker who made millions selling Pokemon trading cards, is being accused of fraud by a leading online marketplace.
WhatNot, a platform that allows users to buy and sell collectibles, has made no specific allegations against 29-year-old Martinez, but has banned him permanently while he refunds money from its customers, according to a company statement.
“Following an extensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ activities, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the individual employees involved in misconduct,” WhatNot said in a statement, citing Martinez’s page, Blakesbreaks.
“We have refunded all buyers affected by the violations. If you think you’ve been affected by an incident on his streams, please fill in the details here and we’ll investigate.”
Meanwhile, a Reddit user has accused Martinez’s “Blake’s Breaks” of swapping more expensive packages for cheaper packages, which were then passed on to customers. The incident in question involved one of Martinez’s associates, also referred to as “Snee” and “PokeSnee,” who appeared to trade one package for another during a live stream.
Blake Martinez, the retired NFL linebacker who made millions selling Pokemon trading cards, is accused of fraud by a leading online marketplace (right)
WhatNot, a platform that allows users to buy and sell collectibles, has permanently banned him
“Was skeptical at first, but once you see it, you can’t undo it,” one commenter said in response to a Reddit video detailing the allegations. “I’ve been ripped off by them too, won two records and both times they never shipped.
“Blake Martinez has to stick to ad-grade football player.”
Another YouTube video also accused Martinez of scamming customers.
Martinez did respond in a live stream on social media.
“I understand the optics … I understand what it looks like, believe me,” Martinez said. “I know what kind of business I run…I made a lot of money – everyone knows it, in the NFL – I knew if I got into this I’d have a target on my back.”
He continued to defend Snee, saying she would no longer work for him.
“Looking at the Reddit thing, I know that Snee had no malicious intent whatsoever. I know what it looks like. I know the whole situation.
“Snee wasn’t going to stream for us from the beginning because she went back to college, but she won’t be streaming for us from now on.”
Martinez stressed that he is “proud” to have an “integrity stream.”
“All I want is for you guys to feel comfortable in my streams,” he added.
Martinez had stints with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders after playing in Arizona
Martinez, who had stints with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders after playing in Arizona, made headlines by selling a rare Pokemon card for $600,000 last year.
CNBC also reported that he made $5 million in seven months selling Pokemon cards, which are based on the Japanese cartoon phenomenon.
He launched Blake’s Breaks in 2022 — a year after tearing his ACL — and grew his small collecting business into a 15-person operation with warehouses in Miami and Denver.
“I think there’s more to my success than[my name],” Martinez told CNBC Make It. “I used to be quarterback on the defense, calling plays. When I started this company, it felt like running a team again.’