71-Year-Old Arrested After Allegedly Stealing More Than 2,800 Boxes of Rare and Expensive Legos

Richard Siegel and 39-year-old Blanca Gudino allegedly stole LEGO toys from retailers across California

The Los Angeles Police Department recovered more than 2,800 boxes of stolen LEGO toys from a 71-year-old man's home on Wednesday.

The department shared in a press release that Richard Siegel and 39-year-old Blanca Gudino allegedly stole the toys — each with a retail value of $20 to “well over” $1,000 — from stores across California.

According to police, while issuing a search warrant at Siegel's Long Beach residence on June 5, "potential buyers of the toys arrived, lured by advertisements placed by Siegel on internet sales sites."

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The investigation into the pair began after a retailer in San Pedro reported a series of theft cases to officers in December 2023, and loss prevention personnel identified Gudino as the suspect.

"On June 4, 2024, members of the Los Angeles Police Department observed Gudino steal items from the same retailer in Torrance and Lakewood before providing Siegel with the LEGO toys at his residence in Long Beach," the department states in its press release.

Siegel was charged with organized retail theft, and Gudino was arrested and charged with grand theft.

According to jail records reviewed by PEOPLE, Siegel has been released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on June 26. Gudino is currently being held on a $20,000 bail.

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While police didn't identify the retailer Siegel and Gudino allegedly targeted, The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that more than $100,000 in LEGO products had been stolen from six Bricks & Minifigs stores across Southern California.

The alleged thieves were described as "two men" who "worked as a team" to target the LEGO resale stores between April and June.

“We’re a specialty store for people trying to find the Lego set from when they were younger — the things that we do have can’t be easily replenished. They’re not stealing big box sets. They’re stealing mini-figures, and those individual guys go for $500 to $600 apiece, so they’re easily stolen and resold for a quick profit," Katie Leuschner, owner of Bricks & Minifigs Whittier location, told the outlet.

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It is unclear if the two cases are connected. PEOPLE has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.

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