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Authorities in Oregon have charged a man with "organized retail theft" for allegedly "knowingly" buying stolen LEGO sets for his storefront ù as they recovered 4,153 sets of LEGOs valued at more than $200,000.

On Wednesday, July 3, Oregon's Springfield Police Department Crime
Reduction Unit served a search warrant at Brick Builders in Eugene after a three-month investigation. According to a post on the department's
Facebook page, police allege that the store owner Ammon Henrikson, 47, was "knowingly purchasing new, unopened sets of LEGOs that had been stolen
from local retail stores."

The department also named 57-year-old Albert Nash of Eugene as a second
suspect on Facebook.

Police added that in "several instances," the pair of suspects allegedly
stole "hundreds of dollarsÆ worth" of products from retail stores to sell
for a "fraction" of their retail value. Some suspects told investigators
that Brick Builders' staff were aware the products were stolen. The
authorities also believe some suspects were using the money they made off
the LEGO sets on "illegal drugs."

71-Year-Old Arrested After Allegedly Stealing More Than 2,800 Boxes of
Rare and Expensive Legos

The SPD then worked with loss prevention investigators from Target, Fred
Meyer, Barnes & Noble and Walmart to confirm that Henrikson had purchased
LEGO sets stolen from their outlets, before charging him with organized
retail theft and theft by receiving.

ôWe all feel the impact of organized retail theft through the increasing
cost of items we buy for our families. Recognizing this, SPDÆs 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," Police Chief Andrew Shearer wrote in a statement.

"SPD is proud of the work of our officers, and we are committed to the
pursuit of those behind these crimes in our community.ö

In photos shared by SPD to Facebook, police could be seen standing in
front of a large pile of LEGO sets. This included the LEGO Millennium
Falcon set which alone can retail for $849.99.

Other uploads from the department included a drone video of all the Lego products, and an image of a LEGO police officer arresting one of the
suspects.

The LEGO bust comes after the Los Angeles Police Department recovered more
than 2,800 boxes of stolen LEGO products from the home of a 71-year-old
man in June.

The LAPD arrested Richard Siegel and 39-year-old Blanca Gudino for
allegedly stealing the toys. Siegel was charged with organized retail
theft, and Gudino was arrested and charged with grand theft.

https://people.com/police-charge-store-owner-and-recover-stolen-legos- oregon-8676414

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