John Higgins, 63, faces charge of dealing in stolen property
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Merritt Island man was arrested earlier this week after he was caught trying to pawn a $2,000 comic book he said he got from a “deceased friend,” according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
In an affidavit, deputies said they first received report about the comic book — a graded, first-edition “Walking Dead” comic — after it was stolen from Defender Comics in Cape Canaveral back in June.
Later, an investigator said he learned the comic book had been sold at a pawn shop in Port Orange — on the same date the comic first went missing.
Security footage helped detectives identify the suspected seller as 63-year-old John Anthony Higgins.
“Staff members at (the pawn shop) also stated that they have been dealing with (Higgins) for years and could positively identify him as the person performing the transaction at this time,” the affidavit reads.
A deputy also noted that Higgins had an active warrant for his arrest stemming from a separate case involving petit theft and dealing in stolen property, using the same method of stealing and selling collectible items to other businesses.
On Sept. 30, the deputy said he contacted Higgins at his workplace, and Higgins confirmed that he’d sold the comic book twice at the pawn shop.
“He advised he obtained the comic book from a deceased friend in March of 2026,” the affidavit continues. “This statement does not make sense, as Defender Comics noticed the book was missing on June 19, 2026 (the same day the defendant pawned the comic book).”
As a result, Higgins was taken into custody and now faces additional charges of:
- Dealing in stolen property
- False verification of ownership to a pawnbroker
He is held on bond of $26,000.
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