Bensalem police arrest elusive 'Lego Bandit.' How they built their case against him
Bensalem police have nabbed one of possibly three elusive toy thieves known on social media as the “Lego Bandit.”
Philadelphia resident Richard Briggs, 30, was arraigned Friday before District Judge Michael Gallagher on a half-dozen misdemeanor charges of retail theft and corruption of a minor in three separate shoplifting incidents at the same Target store.
He was sent to Bucks County Correctional Center in lieu of 10% of $40,000 bail and he had no legal representative listed as of Friday.
Who is the dead man found in burning car Morrisville man ID'd as person found dead in Lower Makefield car fire
Briggs is accused of stealing more than $1,000 worth of the classic toys starting a few days before Christmas last year, Bensalem police said. In each alleged theft, he had a child with him.
In early April, Bensalem police responded to a report of a shoplifter at the chain store in the 800 block of Rockhill Road where they learned a man with a girl entered the store, headed straight to the Lego aisle, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The man loaded his shopping cart with nearly $750 worth of the popular classic toys and then left the store without paying, police said.
The store security officer told police a man matching the same description as the alleged toy thief stole $429 worth of Legos a few months earlier.
The man was in the store shortly before Christmas with the same girl and was observed putting Lego sets in a shopping cart, and then concealing them under a heavy winter coat before leaving the store without paying.
On Friday, police allege, the same suspected thief — identified as Briggs —was at the Target again, this time with a male child, the affidavit said. He allegedly took clothes and other toys including,, Legos, valued at $643, police said.
This time, though, store security apprehended him when he attempted to leave without paying, the affidavit said.
Bensalem Director of Public Safety William McVey said Friday that Briggs is not suspected in two other Lego thefts at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore and the same Target in February,
In those cases, a man stole five Lego sets worth $1,000 from the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the Neshaminy Mall on Feb. 10. Another suspect stole $300 worth of the toys on Feb. 29 from the same Target where Briggs allegedly shoplifted.
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at Jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bensalem charges 'Lego Bandit' with thefts from Target
