Santa Rosa Police Department
Police in California say they have seized thousands of dollars worth of stolen LEGO and arrested one suspect in an elaborate organized retail theft and fencing operation.
The Santa Rosa Police Department said detectives with its Property Crimes Investigations Team began investigating 39-year-old Robert Lopez in September after learning he was allegedly directing retail thieves to steal high-value LEGO sets, which he then purchased at reduced prices and resold for profit — sometimes breaking them down to sell individual minifigures at inflated rates.
Over several weeks, investigators reviewed digital evidence, conducted surveillance, and worked with organized retail theft investigators from Target and Walmart. Their findings indicated that Lopez was running a coordinated fencing operation targeting collectible LEGO items…