Police have busted a $400,000 Lego crime ring across four states

GARLAND, Texas (WFAA/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – Police have arrested two men in connection with a Lego theft ring that spanned several states and stole about $400,000.

Brian Fleming and Ladarion Anderson were arrested for allegedly stealing Lego sets from big box stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Florida, but most commonly in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

Authorities said the thefts were not as simple as shoplifting. Instead, men would buy a cheap set, around the $1 or $2 range, and bring the receipt home. They would then alter the receipt to reflect a much more expensive Lego set, then send an accomplice into the store to steal the expensive sets.

If the employees had asked to see the accomplice’s receipt, they would have produced the altered receipt that included the expensive set.

According to court documents obtained by WFAAFleming and Anderson’s group included up to 10 people who stole more than $400,000 over a two-year period.

The thieves weren’t overzealous master builders, but sold the kits to a dealer who dumped them on sites like Amazon and eBay.

Target and Walmart were beginning to pick up on the group’s escapades, but the brick house came crashing down when an officer pulled over a vehicle full of stolen Legos, which they tracked down to Fleming and Anderson.