LANE COUNTY, Ore. — On July 3rd a search warrant was served at the Brick Builders store in Eugene by the Springfield Police Department's (SPD) Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) after a lengthy investigation.

SPD tells us a three-month investigation revealed evidence that the owner of Brick Builders on Willamette, Ammon Henrikson, was knowingly purchasing new, unopened sets of Legos that had been stolen from local retail stores.

"In many cases suspects stole hundreds of dollars' worth of Legos and then exchanged the stolen items for cash at the store, most often at a fraction of the actual retail value," SPD shared.

SPD tells us that after being interviewed, many of the suspects claimed that Brick Builders' staff knew the sets had been recently stolen.

Springfield Police reports that officers learned many of the suspects were allegedly utilizing the money they received to buy and use illegal drugs.

SPD partnered with loss prevention investigators from Target, Fred Meyer, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart to confirm that Henrikson was purchasing sets that were stolen from the aforementioned retailers. During the execution of the search warrant, Springfield Police recovered 4,153 sets of Legos with a total value of over $200,000.

We all feel the impact of organized retail theft through the increasing cost of items we buy for our families. Recognizing this, SPD’s Crime Reduction Unit, with the support of our retail partners, works diligently to hold accountable those who make the choice to engage in or support retail theft. SPD is proud of the work of our officers, and we are committed to the pursuit of those behind these crimes in our community.” Chief Andrew Shearer

Ammon Henrikson, 47-year old from Springfield, was arrested and charged for:

• Organized Retail Theft
• Theft I by Receiving

In addition, Albert Nash, 57-year old from Eugene, was also arrested and charged for:

• Organized Retail Theft
• Theft I by Receiving