Current location:Global Grandeur news portal > sport
Police build a case against Lego gang: Thieves steal $300,000 worth of high
Global Grandeur news portal2024-05-22 10:26:18【sport】2People have gathered around
IntroductionPolice in California have charged four people following the theft of $300,000 worth of Lego sets fro
Police in California have charged four people following the theft of $300,000 worth of Lego sets from Target, Home Depot and Lowe's stores.
Three men and one woman, aged from 35 to 57, from Los Angeles were charged with organized retail theft, grand theft and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The group were identified as Jeremy Johnson, 44, of Orange, Marta Hardt of Huntington, 39, Chung-Pei Yu, 47, of Studio City, and Shen Li, 35, of Brea.
They are accused of stealing hundreds of boxes of high-value Lego sets from across several popular stores across California, with two of the suspects believed to have acted as 'boosters'.
This means they would have stolen directly from the retailers before stashing the stolen toys in four different houses across Los Angeles and Orange counties.
The thieves would then ship off the stolen Legos to separate 'fences' - which are people who buy stolen goods to then sell at 'seemingly legitimate businesses, swap meets, or online', cops said.
Lego sets that California authorities say were stolen for resale are pictured
Shocking images shared by the CHP show stacks of Lego boxes piled up against walls and on crates, just waiting to be sold
Buyers may also not be aware that the Lego they would have purchased 'were stolen as part of an organized retail crime operation'.
Shocking images shared by the CHP show stacks of Lego boxes piled up against walls and on crates, just waiting to be sold.
Within the mountains of boxes, some popular names can be spotted including Lego Icons and Ideas to Star Wars, City and Minecraft.
Lego Icon sets are worth hundreds of dollars, with the Lego Icon Eiffel Tower going for $629.99 on the website.
In another shot, dozens of copies of the brand new Lego Star Wars March 2024 releases, including 75375 Millennium Falcon and 75376 Tantive IV can be seen stacked up - making the room resemble a Lego store stock cupboard.
Millennium Falcon sets sell for up to $839.
The estimated loss to retailers stemming from the alleged scheme is around a staggering $300,000, the CHP said.
But this isn't the first time brick snatchers have got their hands on the expensive yellow blocks - without paying for them.
In November last year, two shameless shoplifters were spotted stealing £300 worth of Lego from an Asda store in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
They were captured on CCTV entering the supermarket, heading straight to the toy section and grabbing several boxes of Lego.
Then they went to the self-service checkout, put all the Lego boxes into carrier bags and walked past a security guard and out of the store without paying for any of the items.
The women were jailed for 10 weeks and 16 weeks respectively.
And in 2022, police issued pictures of denim hotpant-clad women who they wanted to speak to in connection with a theft in which hundreds of pounds of Lego were stolen.
A woman and two men, who were in the middle of stealing boxes of Lego from a shop in Yvelines, near Paris, were arrested in June 2020.
The estimated loss to retailers stemming from the alleged scheme is around a staggering $300,000, the CHP said
The three people, all from Poland, reportedly admitted to be part of a specialist international Lego stealing gang.
Police in France then warned shops and parents to be on their guard, with some Lego sets being highly sought after by collectors.
The trio arrested in Paris aren't the only case of Lego being targeted by thieves.
Stores in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, were victims of thieves who had been targeting Lego sets and made off with almost £17,000 of the bricks.
Also in 2014, four people were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on suspicion of stealing Lego from a toy store.
Address of this article:http://kiribati.tom-paine.com/article-344c399652.html
Very good!(62144)
Related articles
- Rajasthan Royals launch ANOTHER bid to invest in cash
- Hawaii Supreme Court chides state's legal moves on water after deadly Maui wildfire
- The 20 best shows to watch On Demand this weekend
- BP defeated thousands of suits by sick Gulf spill cleanup workers. But not one by a boat captain
- Proposed $2.77 billion settlement clears first step of NCAA approval with no change to finance plan
- Atlanta or Afghanistan? Wild shootout breaks out at gas station with one gunman wielding an AK
- Todd, Julie Chrisley appeal bank fraud and tax evasion convictions
- Ashanti and Nelly's relationship timeline: A look at the couple's on
- Progressive prosecutor in Portland, Oregon, seeks to fend off tough
- FedEx pledges $25 million over 5 years in NIL program for University of Memphis athletes
Popular articles
- Scheffler back to work at Colonial and Stricker returns to Senior PGA in Michigan
- The US attempts a new military deal with Niger in a last ditch effort to stay
- An appeals court dismisses charges against a Michigan election worker who downloaded a voter list
- Censors block blogger after caller asks 'Is Xi Jinping a dictator?' — Radio Free Asia
Recommended
Trump visits Minnesota after son Barron's Florida high school graduation
5,000 flee military raids on villages in Myanmar’s Sagaing region — Radio Free Asia
Standing in the shadows of giants: 1,475 statues fill the landscape beside D
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can be disciplined for suit to overturn 2020 election, court says
Landmark Paris trial of Syrian officials accused of torturing, killing a father and his son starts
Man United overhaul under Ratcliffe extends to new technical director
Karlie Kloss exudes confidence in a bold red midaxi dress as she attends star
FedEx pledges $25 million over 5 years in NIL program for University of Memphis athletes
Links
- Dalai Lama’s sister receives award for educating Tibetans in exile — Radio Free Asia
- How Taylor Swift's British ex Joe Alwyn kept dignified silence during six
- Controversial university 'race researcher' who wrote that equality between white and non
- Iowa lawmakers approve bill just in time to increase compensation for Boy Scout abuse victims
- Federal officials are investigating a Rockies coach's cockpit visit during a United flight
- The prosecution team in Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' trial has a new attorney
- History with Maple Leafs could help Bruins snap short playoff slump
- 'Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' review: Guy Ritchie amps up WWII heist
- Tory Susan Hall closes the gap on Sadiq Khan with a fortnight until London mayoral election
- Debate over tight end value hovers over Brock Bowers' draft prospects