Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing $400,000 worth of Legos and selling them across the U.S.
Brian Keith Fleming and Ladarion Dontre Anderson are accused of stealing Legos from Walmart and Target stores across four states, according to officials in Texas.
The total value of goods stolen from the retailers amounted to over $400,000 and invoices from the reseller show that more than 500 Lego sets were resold at or under the market price in over just four months in 2024, reported the outlet.
Prosecutors say the men would buy cheap items from stores, alter receipts and make it look like they had bought expensive Lego sets. The men would then go back into stores take Lego sets off the shelf and if questioned show those fake receipts.
The alleged scheme first came to light in October 2022 when a Texas Highway Patrol trooper spotted 19 unopened Cricut digital printing machines in a car during a traffic stop – which the driver could not explain.
After that stop, both Fleming and Anderson came onto the radar of investigators who discovered that the group, which had up to 10 people in it, had been allegedly committing crimes since 2021.
Stores targeted included dozens in the Dallas area, Austin, and Houston as well as stores in Oklahoma, Florida and Pennsylvania.
Fleming and Anderson, who are both 33 and from Lancaster, Texas, face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and theft exceeding $300,000 and the Texas Department of Public Safety says there will likely be more arrests in the case.
Both men were arrested in Fort Worth. Fleming was then transferred to Smith County for outstanding warrants there.
Fleming was reportedly arrested in December at the Smith County Jail and Anderson remains at the Tarrant County Corrections Center with bonds set at more than $1 million.
The Independent contacted the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Public Safety for further information.
