According to officials, on Wednesday, police in Los Angeles confiscated almost 2,800 boxes of LEGO sets that had been hidden in the home of a 71-year-old man.
Officers raided the Long Beach house of 71-year-old Richard Siegel and allegedly caught 39-year-old Blanca Gudino, Siegel’s suspected accomplice. The two men allegedly “worked as a team” to conduct a spring and summer theft spree at LEGO resale outlets.
A San Pedro store named Gudino as the suspected thief who repeatedly targeted it in December, prompting detectives to launch an investigation. It is believed that Siegel was involved in online toy fencing; she was charged with grand theft and with organized retail theft.
The boxes’ retail values range from twenty dollars to more than a thousand.
Officers saw Gudino shoplifting in Torrance and Lakewood on June 4th before he dropped off the stolen goods at Siegel’s house. Several possible purchasers showed up at Siegel’s house during the search, leading detectives to assume that he would sell the stolen goods online.
Six Bricks & Minifigs businesses around Southern California had more than $100,000 worth of LEGO toys stolen.
Katie Leuschner, owner of the Bricks & Minifigs Whittier shop, told the source that mini-figures are being stolen. The individual figurines are marketed for $500 to $600 each so that they can be quickly taken and resold for a profit.
Both Siegel and Gudino were taken into custody. Siegel was charged with organized retail theft and Gudino with grand larceny.
Loss prevention staff at a San Pedro store identified Gudino as the perpetrator of a string of thefts reported to police in December 2023, sparking an inquiry into the two men.
According to prison documents, Siegel was freed on his own recognizance and is expected to appear in court on June 26. At this time, a bond of $20,000 is being maintained for Gudino.
