2 North Texas men arrested for $400,000 Lego crime ring spanning multiple states
DALLAS - Authorities arrested two North Texas men charging them in a multistate crime ring involving nearly a half million dollars’ worth of stolen Lego sets.
The theft investigation into the two men and co-conspirators spanned several years and involved multiple jurisdictions.
Court documents say a separate arrest during a traffic stop along with cell phone data helped authorities get on the right track to find those involved.
33-year-old Brian Fleming and 33-year-old Ladarion Anderson, both from Lancaster, were arrested in Fort Worth last week for their alleged role in what authorities are calling an organized crime ring.
Investigators say the men would buy cheap items from the store and then alter the receipts to make them look like they bought expensive Lego sets.
After that, investigators say co-conspirators would go back in and take the new receipt with them, grab expensive sets from shelves and walk out. If they were questioned, they would show the altered receipt.
In total, roughly $400,000 in Lego items were stolen from Walmart and Target stores.
Authorities were first alerted to the scheme during a 2022 traffic stop of another man.
During the stop, Texas Highway Patrol troopers found stolen items traced back to the retail stores. That’s how Fleming and Anderson came on the radar.
"It seems like it's in a little, small box," said Texas DPS Sgt. Chris Williamson. "But if you think about it, those Legos are very valuable to not only kids but adults and are very collectible."
Investigators discovered the group had been committing crimes since 2021, and the number of stores they hit was lengthy.
The group targeted dozens of stores across the DFW metroplex, Austin, Houston as well as stores in Oklahoma, Florida and Pennsylvania.
Fleming and Anderson are facing charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and theft exceeding $300,000. DPS says there will likely be more arrests made in the case.
Both men were arrested in Fort Worth. Fleming was then transferred to Smith County for outstanding warrants there.