Police in Oregon have recovered more than $200,000 worth of stolen Lego sets after busting a massive theft ring of the popular toy and recovering 4,153 sets.
The Springfield Police Department shared on Tuesday that following a three-month investigation, the owner of Brick Builders, a store in Eugene, Oregon, was found to be “knowingly” buying new and unopened Lego sets that had been stolen from other stores nearby.
Police say that the thieves stole hundreds of dollars worth of Lego sets from local retailers and then took them to Brick Builders in exchange for cash from the store’s owner.
After investigating the situation, officers served a search warrant at the store on July 3 and recovered the more than 4,000 sets that had a total value of more than $200,000.
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While the store owner was purchasing the sets, police say he was doing so at a “fraction” of their retail value. Police say that many of the thieves were then using the money for the stolen sets to buy drugs.
The department shared that interviews with suspects revealed the staff at Brick Builders knew the Lego sets had been stolen recently.
The police department said investigators worked with loss prevention at Target, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Fred Meyer.
Suspects have been charged with organized retail theft and theft by receiving. No names were shared at this time.
“We all feel the impact of organized retail theft through the increasing cost of items we buy for our families,” Police Chief Andrew Shearer said. “Recognizing this, SPD’s Crime Reduction Unit, with the support of our retail partners, works diligently to hold accountable those who make the choice to engage in or support retail theft.”
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