Police in Oregon recovered over $200,000 worth of stolen Lego sets as part of a major retail crime bust.
The Springfield Police Department said this came after a three-month investigation into the Brick Builders store in Eugene, Oregon.
The store’s owner, 47-year-old Ammon Henrikson, had been knowingly purchasing new and unopened Lego sets that had been stolen from local retail stores, according to police.
Police said suspects would steal Lego sets from stores in the area and then head to Brick Builders to exchange the them for cash. They would get a fraction of what the sets retailed for.
Officials interviewing the suspects said they revealed that the staff at Brick Builders was aware that the items were stolen. Many of the suspects had been using the cash to buy and use illegal drugs, according to police.
SPD said they teamed up with loss prevention investigators from Target, Fred Meyer, Barnes & Noble and Walmart as part of their probe.
Police served Brick Builders with a search warrant on July 3, and recovered 4,153 Lego sets — which together are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Police charged Henrikson and another suspect, 57-year-old Albert Nash, in the case. Charges included organized retail theft and theft I by receiving.
“We all feel the impact of organized retail theft through the increasing cost of items we buy for our families. 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. SPD is proud of the work of our officers, and we are committed to the pursuit of those behind these crimes in our community” said Chief Andrew Shearer in a press release.
