Police in Oregon put the case together, piece by piece … all leading to a massive LEGO bust where a toy store owner’s accused of buying LEGOs stolen from his competitors.
Here’s the deal … the Springfield Police Department says a 3-month investigation uncovered evidence Ammon Henrikson, the owner of Brick Builders toy store in Eugene, was knowingly purchasing new, unopened Lego sets that had been stolen from local retail stores.
Springfield Police Department – Oregon
Cops say a raid on Brick Builders recovered more than $200,000 worth of the stolen toys. In total, police say over 4,000 stolen LEGO sets were found in the store.
And, get this … cops say thieves were selling the LEGO sets to the store for a fraction of the retail value, and allegedly using the money to turn around and buy illegal drugs for personal use.
SPD says they partnered with loss prevention investigators from Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble and Fred Meyer to confirm the LEGO thefts.
Police say Henrikson, the store owner, and another man were each arrested and charged with organized retail theft and first-degree theft by receiving.
In interviews with some of the suspects, cops say they were told workers at the toy store knew the LEGO sets were stolen.
As we previously reported … there’s an exploding black market for stolen LEGOs in California, with thieves going to great lengths to steal the toys straight out of retail stores. The stolen goods are being sold online and at swap meets.
Seems the problem is not confined to SoCal.
