After retiring from the NFL field, establishing a career as a businessman has turned into a popular medium of earning among football stars. Former Green Bay Packers player Blake Martinez is one name of the race.
Martinez was a diminishing star who did not see an outstanding and lengthy football career. Throughout his football career, he was not so famous by name, yet as a businessman, he ended up getting his name dragged into the headlines for his notoriety.
Blake Martinez reportedly banned for scamming Pokemon card sellers
Blake once displayed ambitions of becoming a professional footballer and finally got the chance after being selected by the Packers as the 131st overall choice in the 2016 NFL Draft. Nevertheless, the player’s life goals seem to have abruptly altered just a few seasons into his playing career, and he quickly abandoned his football career to pursue a career in business.
The 29-year-old accepted his new career as a re-seller of Pokémon and sports trading cards. Sadly, the retired player was recently expelled from the online marketplace Whatnot. He was accused of using widespread scamming methods and defrauding many of his clients, leading to complaints from clients and other card game streams.
On 4th July, Whatnot issued a statement regarding the permanent removal of Martinez from the online selling platform and also announced the dismissal of certain employees who had engaged in the criminal act.
“We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues. Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the individual employees involved in misconduct.”
Report: Former NFL LB Blake Martinez has reportedly been permanently banned from reselling Pokémon cards on Whatnot over scamming collectors, according to @Dexerto
Statement from Whatnot: "After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations we have decided to… https://t.co/EwLWqQqGfQ pic.twitter.com/KBhAdqxraC
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 5, 2023
Blake was the Packers’ 131st draft pick out in the 2016 NFL draft and after appearing as a Packer in four seasons, he moved to the New York Giants as a free agent for a three-year deal. However, after suffering from an injury he witnessed his Jets career drown in just one season.
How much did Blake Martinez earn in the Pokemon card business?
Blake established an organization called Blake’s Breaks to carry out his card-selling business, and in less than a year, that company generated a staggering $11.5 million in income. However, he began to deliberately remove valuable cards from packs and resold them separately for a higher price.
Whatnot started looking into the case after several Reddit users complained about his fraudulent activities and ultimately banned him for life. Blake’s story should serve as a warning to any individual looking to engage in illegal activity.
