Police in Oregon find Lego sets worth over $200,000 in major raid

Police seized more than $200,000 worth of stolen Lego sets in the arrest of a huge ring of thieves for the popular toy, officials said.

A three-month investigation found that the owner of a Eugene, Oregon, store – Brick Builders on Willamette Street – “knowingly” purchased new, unopened Lego sets that had been stolen from other nearby stores, Springfield police said on Facebook Tuesday.

According to police, the thieves stole several hundred dollars worth of Lego sets from local retailers and then brought them to Brick Builders, where they exchanged them for cash.

Officers executed a search warrant at Brick Builders on July 3 and seized 4,153 Lego sets, police said. The total value of the sets was more than $200,000.

According to police, the thieves typically received only “a fraction” of the retail value of the Lego sets and many of them said they used the money to buy drugs.

During questioning, suspects told police that Brick Builders employees knew the Lego sets had recently been stolen, according to a police Facebook post.

Reached by phone Wednesday evening, the owner of Brick Builders referred NBC News to his attorney. A message left with the law firm was not immediately returned.

Police said they worked with theft prevention investigators from Target, Fred Meyer, Barnes & Noble and Walmart to confirm that the owner of Brick Builders purchased Lego sets that had been stolen from his stores.

According to police, the suspects were accused of organized shoplifting and receiving stolen goods.

“We all feel the impact of organised shoplifting through the rising prices of the things we buy for our families,” said Police Chief Andrew Shearer. “With this in mind, SPD’s Crime Reduction Unit, with the support of our retail partners, works tirelessly to hold those who knowingly participate in or facilitate shoplifting to account.”