CALIFORNIA MAN ARRESTED AFTER MASSIVE LEGO SET THEFT SCHEME
Written by Jesse Skelley on April 20, 2026
A bizarre retail scam has landed a California man in serious trouble after police say he pulled off an unusual scheme involving high-end Lego sets—and dry pasta. Irvine police arrested 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine, who is accused of stealing roughly $34,000 worth of premium Lego kits, including popular Star Wars and Marvel collections.
According to investigators, Augustine allegedly removed the valuable Lego pieces, replaced them with bags of dry pasta, resealed the boxes, and returned them for full refunds. Officers noted that the pasta even mimicked the sound of Lego bricks when shaken, helping the scam go unnoticed.
The fraudulent returns reportedly took place at multiple Target stores in Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Westminster, along with other locations across the country. Police tracked Augustine to his Los Angeles County apartment, where they recovered several Lego sets tied to the scheme.
Authorities say he may be connected to similar cases in several other states.
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