Bend transient arrested in Legos theft jailed for 2nd time in 3 days, accused of trying to sell sets online to detective
Police were waiting at outlet mall; Legos apparently are hot on black market, as they're untraceable
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – One of two transients arrested in a parking-lot drug bust earlier this week was arrested again Friday, accused of trying to sell hundreds of dollars in stolen Lego sets online, at a steep discount -- to an undercover officer. Authorities say Legos are a hot item on the black market due to their untraceable nature – no serial numbers on all those little, colorful bricks.
Wyatt James Froome, 30, and alleged area fentanyl trafficker Timothy Henkel, 54, were arrested Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of Home Depot and Sportsman’s Warehouse after Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team members watched Henkel allegedly sell drugs to a car’s occupants.
Detectives searched their vehicle and found a commercial quantity of fentanyl pills, as well as $750 worth of Lego toy sets allegedly stolen earlier that day from the nearby Target store.
Froome was jailed Tuesday and arraigned Wednesday on a second-degree theft charge. The judge scheduled a plea hearing on March 28, and he was conditionally released on Thursday, a jail officer said.
On Friday, CODE detectives were monitoring public social media marketplaces for criminal activity when they noticed that Froome was online and offering to sell hundreds of dollars’ worth of new Lego sets at a steep discount, CODE Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp said.
Detectives contacted Froome, offering to buy the Legos, and a detective made a deal, arranging a meeting to buy the sets.
Froome later arrived at the Factory Outlet Stores on South Highway 97, where Bend Police officers contacted him with the allegedly stolen Legos he’d agreed to sell to the detective.
Vander Kamp said Froome allegedly “pre-sells” the Lego sets on social media, and after a customer contact, he allegedly “fulfills the order” by stealing the requested Lego set from a local retailer.
CODE detectives also charged Froome with four more Bend-area thefts, totaling over $3,000 in stolen property.
Froome was again booked into the Deschutes County Jail on charges of first- and second-degree theft, aggravated identity theft and unlawful use of a credit card. This time, jail records show he’s being held without bail.
Retail store security officers told CODE that Legos are a hot item due to their popularity and relative cost from retail stores.
“Legos are virtually untraceable, without serial numbers, and quickly sold on the black market, or to unsuspecting buyers on social media,” Vander Kamp said.
