Another theft ring busted.

[toycardriver]

18 Pallets of kits!

http://www.azcentral...-abrk/14143047/

[Hive]

Crazy. I can't imagine how they managed to pull this off for so long, stealing so many sets, before being discovered... wow.

And I wonder what happens to these sets now. Many of the sets are from themes that has since been discontinued, so they obviously can't just go back to be sold in the stores they were taken from - at least not at anywhere near the full price. So then what?

[TheLegoDr]

I've heard of police auctions, so maybe?? That'd be one to get in on for sure!

[Yzalirk]

I wish I could get my hands one a lot of those sets but I live no where near Arizona.

[m0dulo]

A local news channel has two videos, some mugshots, and more info on their website.

[Off the wall]

Netting $300 a set sounds a tad high.

Again, I'd hate to explain to cell mate bubba that I'm doing time for stealing/fencing lego.

[rollermonkey]

^Depends on the sets... People are still selling MISB 10179, and that's a lot more that $300 profit these days.

[Modelmaker]

I'm pretty sure this kind of thing is happening in my area. Tough i can't prove anything. But i know of a guy selling new sets online at around 20% less than the stores.

[Off the wall]

^Depends on the sets... People are still selling MISB 10179, and that's a lot more that $300 profit these days.

Yep, if you want to headline one of the most expensive lego sets on the reseller market and assume the that ring has being going on for years. As a former prosecuting attorney, it sounds more like an inflated police value estimate. Like when the cops bust someone for drugs and their stated street value is several times more than what the actual haul of drugs would bring on the street. Inflation makes the bust look better and sometimes impacts charging/plea bargaining, etc.

What's getting frustrating in a jury situation is the headlining of the possible, but improbable, fact. Sure, maybe they only stole and sold 10179s, Taj Mahals and Statue of Libertys.

Not impossible.............but seriously?

Only the OJ or Zimmerman juries would buy that.

Edit....

Look at the CBS 5 local coverage. Not a lot of $300 sets. Not to mention averaging $300, but I guess I did mention it. Unless they got the the lego back to the future set to actually go back in time, there's no way they averaged $300 a set. Maybe they had $250k in inventory, I can't tell.

Or, unless they got to $300 by figuring he got a refund on a set from the store and then sold the set. But that's beyond my comprehension of how that would work.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Off the wall

[Modelmaker]

Or, unless they got to $300 by figuring he got a refund on a set from the store and then sold the set. But that's beyond my comprehension of how that would work.

He gets a damaged (box) $150 set, goes to the store and buys a new same $150 set and gets a receipt then returns the damaged set and get a $150 refund and sells the new set for $150. I think that's what they are trying to say. Thinking he's making $300 but really he spent $150 and got it back to make another $150

Edited August 16, 2014 by Modelmaker

[Off the wall]

Yep, and based on the photos I've seen, most of the sets retail for under $300. Most. Well, heck, most under $150.

[Faefrost]

Yes, but these were stolen from TRU, so don't forget to account for the obscene TRU markup.

I really have to wonder exactly What the Brick was going on with TRU's security? 3 Truckloads full of high value merchandise walked off from a cluster of local stores, one piece at a time via the front door? Smuggled out through gift bags and disabled anti theft tags? That strike anyone else as just a bit outside the realms of probability?

[Off the wall]

Yes, but these were stolen from TRU, so don't forget to account for the obscene TRU markup.

I really have to wonder exactly What the Brick was going on with TRU's security? 3 Truckloads full of high value merchandise walked off from a cluster of local stores, one piece at a time via the front door? Smuggled out through gift bags and disabled anti theft tags? That strike anyone else as just a bit outside the realms of probability?

Yep. I don't doubt there was a theft. But, many of the 'facts' just don't ring true to me.

[toycardriver]

I don't think they just did local stores. From Phoenix, L.A. is about 8 hours away, San Diego, about the same. Vegas is six, and Albuquerque is eight. That is four major metro areas that you could hit and not raise a lot of suspicion.

[weavil]

Found this going across MSN home page a few hours ago... police-ny-woman-stole-800-lego-sets-worth-dollar60000

I think the world is ending soon or did I miss the spike Lego popularity?

[BrickCurve]

Well their you go. I never would have expected that.

[Wodanis]

These stories are just unreal. That is a lot of theft. They must have been returning damaged sets to multiple stores across a wide area. Eventually one would realize that the same person kept coming back with damaged lego sets if he kept returning to the same stores. Lego is big business now

Edited August 18, 2014 by Wodanis

[TheLazyChicken]

Well it's good that they caught them, but what's going to happen to all those sets? Police auctions is what they might do...

[Off the wall]

If the police know where they were stolen from, they may be held for evidence before being returned to the rightful owner. Or, if insurance covered the loss, the insurance company would probably have a right to them.

[Modelmaker]

They should be donated to some childrens charity as gifts for xmas or something.

[krystalKING]

This has just gotta be one worst thefts I've ever seen.

I think it's safe to blame Perpetrator cunning and employee stupidity.

Also, if he hired people to walk out with a damaged set, did he hire people to do the buy and return as well?

[kibosh]

where were the damaged sets coming from? I can't get the news article to open.

[m0dulo]

where were the damaged sets coming from? I can't get the news article to open.

The sets were damaged when they removed the anti-theft thingy*.

* technical term

[kibosh]

So how were they returning damaged merchandise? Or was the fact that they were damaged really not ave anything to do with the story.

[Modelmaker]

They had to damage the boxes to get the anti theft thingy off, then they walk out with the set. Later on someone buys the same set to get a receipt and takes away the new set. Then they return with the damaged set and the receipt and get a refund. So keeping the new set for free.