California Man Accused of Swapping Stolen Legos with Pasta

Irvine police say the suspect replaced expensive Lego sets with dry pasta before returning them to stores.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 1:51am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An extreme close-up photograph of a pile of dry elbow pasta against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the substitution of stolen Lego bricks in a crime investigation.A recent wave of Lego theft and fraud cases exposes the creative tactics criminals will use to exploit retail return policies and profit from stolen merchandise.Los Angeles Today

A 28-year-old man named Jarrelle Augustine has been arrested in Irvine, California for allegedly stealing over $34,000 worth of high-end Lego sets and replacing the plastic bricks with pieces of dry pasta before returning the boxes to stores for refunds. Police say Augustine targeted Lego sets from popular franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, which have a high resale value on the secondary market.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of Lego theft and fraud, as the collectible toy sets have become increasingly valuable. Lego thefts have been reported across the country, with criminals finding creative ways to exploit the system and profit off of the stolen goods.

The details

According to the Irvine Police Department, Augustine would allegedly steal the expensive Lego sets, replace the bricks with dry pasta, reseal the boxes, and then return them to stores like Target for full refunds. Officers said the pasta mimics the sound of Legos when shaken, making the switch harder to detect. Police tracked Augustine to his Los Angeles County apartment and seized numerous Lego sets, plastic containers of sorted pieces, and at least 15 bags of elbow pasta.

  • Earlier this week, Irvine PD tracked Augustine to his Los Angeles County apartment and arrested him.

The players

Jarrelle Augustine

A 28-year-old man accused of stealing over $34,000 worth of high-end Lego sets and replacing the plastic bricks with dry pasta before returning the boxes to stores for refunds.

Irvine Police Department

The law enforcement agency that arrested Augustine and is investigating the Lego theft and fraud scheme.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“One of the cases that occurred here in Orange County, they shared that they opened the box and instead of Legos, they found bags of dry pasta.”

— Officer Ziggy Azarcon, Irvine Police Department

“These were definitely sets that were consistent with what he was purchasing and then returning. These were Star Wars sets and Marvel sets, which have a very high value on the secondary market.”

— Officer Ziggy Azarcon, Irvine Police Department

What’s next

Irvine police say Augustine is linked to dozens of similar cases in other states, including Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Florida. Authorities are working to determine the full scope of his alleged criminal activity.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing problem of organized retail crime targeting high-value consumer goods like Lego sets. It also demonstrates the creative tactics criminals will use to exploit retail return policies and profit from stolen merchandise. As the resale market for collectible toys continues to grow, law enforcement will likely see more incidents of this nature.