Lego Theft Ring

Summary

When detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department arrived at a house in Lake County, Calif., on Monday, they discovered what looked like a Lego crime scene.Plastic figurines were everywhere, their heads removed from their bodies and organized in neat rows by facial expression.Tubs and bins brimmed with loose pieces — tens of thousands of them, according to the police — and were scattered across desks in the living room.Unopened sets lined the hallway floors.An investigation that began last month culminated in the arrest of Robert Lopez, 39. The police said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr. Lopez had stolen more $6,000 worth of the popular toys.“Lopez was directing others to steal expensive Lego sets and purchasing the stolen property at a reduced price to turn around and resell the sets or individual mini figurines at inflated prices,” the police said.It was not immediately clear who was buying from Mr. Lopez. On Friday, the investigation was still ongoing “to identify others involved and locate the retailers from where the Legos were stolen,” said Sgt. Patricia Seffens of the Police Department.Mr. Lopez was charged with, among things, organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit a felony. Under Californian law, those convicted of a felony of organized retail theft can face up to three years in prison.It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Lopez had a lawyer.The police said that when they visited Mr. Lopez’s garage, it had about 100 assembled mini figures displayed on shelves, along with unopened sets and broken-down packaging.“The scene suggested systematic sorting and potential resale activity, consistent with fencing operations involving high-demand collectible items,” the police said.Lego sets can cost from $4.99 to nearly $1,000, according to the company’s website.The company has a long history of selling limited edition, collectible items and packages that can resell for much higher than their retail price.Some Lego products can increase in value b...