A California man has been arrested for allegedly stealing Lego sets from Target and replacing the figurines with dried pasta before returning them, in a scam that cost the retailer approximately $34,000. The Irvine Police Department announced the arrest of 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine on 14 April, accusing him of grand theft.
According to police, Augustine would purchase Lego sets, remove the figurines and sometimes all the components, and then return the boxes filled with pasta noodles. Target reported at least 70 thefts linked to Augustine across the US. Police described the scheme in a pun-filled social media post, stating, 'If your master plan involves swapping Legos for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente.'
The investigation began in December 2025 after Target's loss prevention department noticed a returned Lego box was open and missing figurines. Surveillance helped identify Augustine as the suspect. Police noted that there is a secondary market for the stolen figurines, and the financial losses stem from Target's inability to resell the tampered sets.
This case is part of a broader trend of Lego thefts. In April, authorities seized about $1 million in Legos from stolen freight trailers in Riverside County. In March, a Vallejo man was charged with stealing nearly $25,000 in Legos from Target, and last fall, another California man was arrested for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Lego toys as part of a theft ring.
