California Man Pulled Off ‘Lego-for-Pasta’ Scam at Least 70 Times Before Arrest

Police said a 28-year-old California man has been arrested for allegedly stealing Lego sets worth $34,000, replacing them with dried pasta and returning them for refunds.

The accused, identified as Jarrelle Augustine, was taken into custody in Irvine, and is linked to at least 70 thefts across several states. Investigators said he bought Lego boxes, opened them, removed the contents, and filled the packages with pasta before returning them to stores.

Police said the trick worked because it felt and sounded like the real Lego brick pieces. When shaken, the boxes gave the same effect as the original. Office Ziggy Azarcn said, “They opened the box, and instead of Legos, they found bags of dry pasta.”

Authorities said Augustine targeted multiple retail stores, including locations in Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Westminster. They also said he may have committed similar thefts in Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Florida.

After his arrest, officers searched his apartment and came across several LEGO kits. “These were definitely sets that were consistent with what he was purchasing and then returning,” Azarcon said. He added that many of these items were highly valued in the market. The stolen Lego sets included popular Star Wars and Marvel kits.

Police arrested Augustine on suspicion of grand theft.

The Irvine Police Department noted the unusual nature of the case in a social media post. "If your master plan involves swapping LEGOs for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente," the department said in the post.

They also called Augustine’s scheme a “bad build” that could not “hold together.”

Experts have said that Lego theft is becoming more common in the country. Joshua Hanlon, who runs a large Lego fan community, said there is a strong resale market. Hanlon shared, “Facebook Marketplace is probably the most popular option these days. Pretty soon after they take place, they’ll start to try to offload them.”

Hanlon added that it is also difficult to trace stolen Lego bricks because they do not have serial numbers.

Some sets can sell for high prices. A Lego Death Star can cost about $1000, while rare items like a special Spider-Man figure from 2013 can sell for more than $15,000.

In a similar case, three men were recently arrested for stealing truck trailers filled with Lego sets, highlighting the growing value of the toy in the resale market.