California man allegedly stole $34,000 worth of Lego sets, filled boxes with pasta before returning them

IRVINE, Calif. (TCN) -- A 28-year-old man has been arrested for suspected grand theft in connection with a series of 70 thefts across the country in which Lego pieces were replaced with pasta before the boxes were returned for cash.

The Irvine Police Department announced the arrest of Jarrelle Augustine on April 16. “Everything was awesome in this Lego crime spree until we got involved,” the announcement read. Augustine allegedly bought Lego sets from multiple Target stores, replaced the pieces with dried pasta at home, and then returned the sets, leading to $34,000 in losses for the retailer.
Target stores connected the series of thefts to the same suspect, and Augustine was identified after the Irvine Police Department conducted surveillance. 

An investigation found that Lego boxes containing dried pasta sounded like they contained the building blocks when they were shaken, according to CBS News. In addition to thefts at Target stores in several California counties, Augustine allegedly replaced pieces with pasta for returns in stores in Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and New Jersey as well.

Augustine was arrested at his apartment and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of grand theft, according to CBS. At his home, authorities reportedly found several Lego sets. Irvine police officer Ziggy Azarcon said, “These were definitely sets that were consistent with what he was purchasing and then returning. These were Star Wars sets and Marvel sets, which have a very high value on the secondary market.

“If your master plan involves swapping Legos for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente,” the police department said. 

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