Items for sale during the Pensacola Brick Convention Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds. The convention is filled with interactive, creative and educational activities for all ages , building Zones, dozens of large-scale and miniature LEGO models and displays, professional LEGO artists, vendors selling anything and everything LEGO and much more.
Lake County, California – When detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department arrived at a Lake County home earlier this week, they didn’t expect to find a scene that looked like a toy shop gone feral. Inside, the living room and hallway were filled with Lego pieces — thousands of them. Unopened boxes lined the walls, while the desks overflowed with plastic limbs, torsos, and heads, many neatly sorted into bins by facial expression.
Investigators say the home belonged to 39-year-old Robert Lopez, who has been accused of orchestrating a small-scale but surprisingly organized Lego theft operation. The Santa Rosa Police Department announced Wednesday that Lopez allegedly directed others to steal expensive Lego sets from major retailers like Walmart and Target, then bought the stolen goods at discounted prices to resell them for profit.
Lopez now faces charges of organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit a felony. Under California law, that could mean up to three years in prison if convicted. Police said they also found a shotgun and a loaded assault rifle inside a safe during the search.
In a statement, Sgt. Patricia Seffens said the investigation is ongoing, with detectives still working to identify accomplices and track where the toys were stolen. “The scene suggested systematic sorting and potential resale activity, consistent with fencing operations involving high-demand collectible items,” the department said.
What makes Legos worth stealing is their growing value in the secondary market. A single collectible figurine can sell for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars online. Some sets appreciate faster than gold or fine art. “This isn’t surprising,” said Will Jensen, chief operating officer of brickLAB, a family-owned toy shop in Frisco, Texas. “Legos are collectibles like baseball cards or art. Certain figures just keep going up in value.”
Earlier this year, the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con Spider-Man minifigure was valued at more than $15,000. Even mid-range sets, which retail for $50 or $100, can become lucrative when resold piece by piece.
Police across California say thefts like this one are becoming more common. In 2023, burglars stole more than $100,000 worth of Lego kits and accessories from a specialty retailer in the state. From 2014 through 2023, overall retail theft rose by about 11 percent statewide, according to a report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The Lego economy — booming in both nostalgia and scarcity — makes it an easy target. The Santa Rosa Police Department said these items are “small, untraceable, and in high demand,” making them perfect for resale through online marketplaces or casual collectors’ groups.
Walmart and Target, two of the country’s biggest Lego sellers, have been cooperating with investigators. “Our collaboration with law enforcement in combating organized retail crime is critical in fulfilling our mission of helping people save money and live better,” Walmart said in a statement.
