Lego is a hot ticket item for any kid, but the sentencing of a 31-year-old Langley man shows there is a significant black market for the popular toy, too.
On Wednesday, Henry Bennett Smith was given a conditional sentence along with 145 days in jail (time served) for stealing Lego from various toy stores all over the Lower Mainland. He pleaded guilty to trafficking in the stolen property. Lego sets were found in his Langley City apartment, and Smith had rented a storage locker where more than 50 plastic totes full of new Lego pieces were found, said Langley RCMP.
Since September 2015, Langley stores that carry Lego have seen a huge increase in theft of the brick building blocks. In fact, more than 20 complaints related to Lego theft have been reported to Langley RCMP, said Cpl. Holly Largy.
“This investigation was complex in nature and began in the fall after a large quantity of Lego was found in Smith’s residence when Langley Drug Section executed a search warrant for drugs and weapons,” said Largy. The amount of Lego was a red flag to investigators, leading them to believe Smith may be involved in the theft and selling of Lego products.
Langley’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) was called to further investigate.
In January, POST investigators discovered Smith had rented a storage locker. Smith was arrested the following day when he arrived at the storage facility.
Further search warrants were obtained for Smith’s residence and his vehicle. His condo contained a large quantity of Lego and other products including sports collectibles, expensive toys, cosmetics and clothing. It is estimated that there was more than $120,000 in stolen items recovered, said police.
“The challenge with this type of crime is most of the offences are not reported due to the nature of shoplifting,” said Langley RCMP Supt. Murray Power.
“Mr. Smith had a long run of acquiring stolen goods and our success at stopping his network will have a positive effect on local businesses and collectible shops. I strongly encourage citizens to exercise diligence and awareness if considering buying anything off the internet from private sellers,” said Power.
“There is no harm in having the seller explain where items came from. Willful blindness to the black market ends up enabling criminals and hurting everyone at the end of the day. These may be the same people that end up stealing from you some day.”
