Man Swapped Out Lego Pieces With Dried Pasta
(Getty Images/KariHoglund)
Police in Irvine, California say a man carried out a refund scam involving Lego sets and bags of pasta, costing a major retailer thousands of dollars before he was arrested.
According to authorities, 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine of Paramount, California is suspected of grand theft after allegedly purchasing Lego sets from Target stores and altering the contents before returning them for refunds. Investigators say Augustine would open the boxes, remove some of the Lego figures, place bags of dried pasta inside, reseal the packages, and then return the items to the store.
Target reported about 70 incidents connected to the same suspect at locations across the country. Police estimate the total losses from the alleged scheme at roughly $34,000.
Irvine police officer Ziggy Azarcon told CBS News that store employees in at least one case discovered the switch when they opened a returned box and found dry pasta instead of Lego pieces. Investigators noted that when the boxes were shaken, the sound of the pasta could resemble the rattling of loose Lego bricks, which may have helped the returns go unnoticed.
Detectives say surveillance footage helped them identify Augustine as the suspect. He was later taken into custody and booked into the Orange County Jail.
Authorities said stores believed to be affected include Target locations in Irvine, Westminster, and Costa Mesa, along with several other stores outside Orange County. Police also released video of the arrest and photos showing packets of pasta and separated Lego pieces, describing the alleged operation as a “pasta-tively terrible plan.”
About Post Author
