Mountain Of LEGO Sets Recovered By Oregon Cops In Massive $200,000 Raid
Image via Springfield Police Department - Oregon
The perpetrator will need to build a huge case to get out of this one. Too bad it can’t be made of plastic. Oregon law enforcement officials cracked down on a brick-and-mortar operation this week, recovering a stunning US$200,000 worth of stolen LEGO sets. The three-month investigation, dubbed ‘Operation Brick By Brick’ by local authorities, culminated in a raid on a Eugene, Oregon toy store suspected of fencing stolen merchandise.
Ammon Henrikson, owner of Brick Builders toy store, now faces charges of knowingly receiving stolen property. Police allege that Henrikson purchased a significant number of unopened LEGO sets from thieves, who were reportedly selling the stolen goods at a fraction of their retail value. The investigation suggests these stolen funds were then used to purchase illegal drugs.
Authorities recovered over 4,000 LEGO sets during the raid, with some estimates suggesting the collection included coveted limited-edition sets and highly sought-after collector’s items. The operation was documented in a series of photos, posted to social media, revealing the sheer size of this plastic pile.
Image via Springfield Police Department - Oregon
To crack this case, the Springfield Police Department’s Oregon branch wasn’t alone. It collaborated with loss prevention investigators from major retailers like Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Fred Meyer. This combined force proved crucial. By sharing information and piecing together a trail of missing LEGOs, they confirmed the widespread thefts and exposed the intricate web of criminal activity surrounding these beloved plastic bricks.
Image via Springfield Police Department - Oregon
Making light of the situation, the police department shared some humorous images depicting a LEGO criminal being nabbed.
Image via Springfield Police Department - Oregon
Amusingly, this isn’t the first time of late that LEGO bricks have been intertwined with US law enforcement. Back in March, the Murrieta Police Department in California gained national attention for using LEGO heads to obscure the identities of suspects in social media posts, due to a new law restricting the sharing of mugshots for non-violent crimes.
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[via NBC News, CBS News, The Independent, Quartz, images via Springfield Police Department - Oregon]
