California man arrested for allegedly swapping in pasta for Lego pieces then returning them | California

So much for using his noodles.

A California man stole thousands of dollars in Lego toy sets from retailer Target in a take-back scam, sometimes trading valuable figures for pieces of dried pasta and before returning the construction toys, authorities recently claimed.

The alleged plot ended with the arrest of Jarrelle Augustine, 28, on charges of grand theft for allegedly stealing the Lego sets, the manufacturer of which is known for its interlocking bricks and miniature figures, according to police in Irving, California.

“You read that right,” police said in a Facebook post announcing the April 14 arrest. “We’re talking about durum semolina pasta and what we call a terrible pasta plan.”

Target told authorities there had been at least 70 thefts across the United States linked to Augustine, “accruing approximately $34,000 in losses.” Police joked: “That’s a lot of missing pieces.” »

“But like most bad construction, this one didn’t hold up,” police said, noting that the investigation involved surveillance to identify the suspect.

They also said, “If your master plan involves trading Legos for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente.” »

Ziggy Azarcon, public information officer for the Irvine Police Department, said investigators began looking into the case in December 2025.

Target’s loss prevention department checked the returns and noticed one of the Lego boxes was open and figures were missing — and then notified the police.

Azarcon said police knew there was a secondary market for the missing parts. Irvine investigators later said they determined Augustine was responsible for dozens of false statements.

Police accuse Augustine of purchasing Lego sets, opening the packages they came in, removing the figures and then returning them. Augustine reportedly sometimes removed all the Lego components and replaced them with pasta and noodles.

The alleged financial losses involve Target’s inability to resell any of those Legos, Azarcon said. It is unclear whether Augustine has an attorney who could be contacted for comment.

The charges against Augustine are part of a series of recent theft incidents involving allegedly stolen Legos.

In April, authorities seized about $1 million in Legos and two stolen cargo trailers headed to Riverside County, according to the Los Angeles Times.

And a Vallejo, Calif., man was charged in March with second-degree commercial burglary and grand larceny for stealing nearly $25,000 from Target in cases spanning from August 2024 to February 2025.

The man’s “actions followed a similar method,” prosecutors in Contra Costa County, California, said. He entered a store alone, filled a shopping cart with Legos and left “within minutes with the stolen merchandise.”

In another example, a California man was arrested last fall for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of Lego toys. The man was reselling the popular toys at rock bottom prices in connection with a sprawling theft ring, USA Today reported.

Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment.