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Men Denied Bail After Alleged Threats on Pokémon World Championships

Boston Municipal Court Judge Thomas C. Horgan denied 18-year-old Kevin Norton and 27-year-old James Stumbo bail after they appeared at a dangerousness hearing on Tuesday. The judge ordered that the Iowa men be held without bail for the next 120 days after they allegedly threatened violence at the Pokémon World Championships last month.

Suffolk Assistant District Joseph Janezic urged Horgan to order the men to continue to be held without bail while they await trial. Janezic said, "Unfortunately, we live in a world of keyboard commandos, individuals who post things without further thought of where they go. This isn't that case." The prosecutor argued that only the actions of Boston police prevented the pair from creating a "mass casualty situation."

The men's defense attorneys argued that the two had no intention to carry out their threats. Steven Goldwyn, who represents Stumbo, noted that the men were not carrying weapons when they tried to enter the convention center where the championships were being held. He claimed that it was "mere speculation" that the men intended to commit real-life violence. “If they really had the true intent to do anything about it, why leave [the weapons] in the car?” he asked.

According to their attorneys, neither man has a criminal record. Their attorneys stated that the person the men allegedly targeted lives in Missouri, not Boston where the championship was held. However, Boston detective James Simpson testified that the person was attending the competition.

The men are being held without bail on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and other firearm charges. The Boston Police Department (BPD) said in a statement that it arrested the two men after finding a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, a DPMS Model AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife in the car they used to drive from Iowa to Boston. According to the police, neither Norton nor Stumbo possessed licenses for the firearms.

Prosecutors previously said that Norton was banned from an online chatroom for bullying. Norton allegedly responded, "Oh, ok, that's fine then I will just shoot him on Friday thanks" when he was denied reentry. Prosecutors also cited a post where Stumbo allegedly wrote "my AR-15 says you lose."

On a public Facebook page called "Mayhem Pokémon Crew," Stumbo allegedly posted a photo of a white sedan with two firearms set atop the trunk of a white sedan on Wednesday. The post said, “Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!” When a group member posted wishing the two men luck, Norton allegedly responded, “With killing the competition?”

The two men are not currently facing charges for making threats, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. "The investigation is ongoing," Conley said.

The Pokémon Company listed Kevin Norton and James Stumbo as invitees to the Masters Division of the championships, although the company's website has since removed their names. The championships had nearly 1,000 invitees this year.

The Pokémon Company was made aware of the alleged threats and informed the security at the Hynes Convention Center, where the event was held. The convention center's security personnel then contacted the Boston Police Department. It also increased security in the event. The suspects were barred from entering the event on August 20. Boston police executed a search warrant on the suspects' vehicle on August 21, finding and recovering the weapons. The BPD then collaborated with the police in the nearby town of Saugus to arrest the two suspects at a hotel in that town.

Sources: ICv2, The Boston Globe