Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year for kids.
But there is always someone looking to spread holiday misery.
And Christmas criminals tried to play the Grinch for kids with this horrible scheme.
Texas thieves travel the country stealing Legos
Legos have been one of the most popular toys to give as a gift for kids for decades.
Stealing the kids’ toys turned into a big business for a pair of criminals from Lancaster, Texas.
Brian Fleming and Ladarion Anderson, both 33, were arrested for their role in a crime ring that stole more than $400,000 in Legos going back to at least 2022.
The pair had a simple scam that they used to steal Lego sets from Walmart, Target, and other retailers.
One of the men would go into the store and buy a cheap item.
The receipts were altered to show the purchase of an expensive Lego set.
The other man would go into the retailer and grab a Lego set.
If questioned by employees, they would show them the altered receipt.
Fleming and Anderson ran this scam throughout Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
They robbed at least 273 stores in total.
Law enforcement thinks that they robbed at least 50 stores in North Texas alone.
Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Chris Williamson told Fox Texas Digital that stealing Legos was a lucrative crime.
“It seems like it’s in a little, small box,” Williamson explained. “But if you think about it, those Legos are very valuable to not only kids but adults and are very collectible.”
More arrests expected in Lego theft crime ring
Fleming and Anderson would steal the Legos and sell them to a third party who would turn and around sell the stolen Legos on eBay and Amazon.
At least 10 other people are suspected of being involved in the Lego crime ring with the Texas Department of Public Safety saying that more arrests would be coming.
The investigation into Fleming and Anderson began in 2022 when one of their associates was pulled over with 19 stolen Cricut machines in his car.
He could not provide an explanation to the police as to why he had so many Cricut machines.
The retailer Craft Stash defines a Cricut machine as “a die-cutting machine that can cut several different materials for your craft projects like paper, vinyl, and cardstock.”
Amazon eventually began investigating the third-party seller that Fleming and Anderson were pawning off their stolen Lego sets.
The man selling the stolen Legos and other items had an invoice from Fleming according to the affidavit.
Post Office officials opened an investigation into him for selling stolen property through the mail.
Anderson and Fleming were clearing out stores of most of their Lego stock.
The pair went into a Target in Garland, Texas in August 2022 and made off more than $6,400 worth of Legos.
Fleming and Anderson were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and retail theft over $300,000.
These Lego thieves will be spending Christmas for the foreseeable behind bars.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
