Boss of organized Lego theft ring

Portland man Raji Afife Azar, 41, was busted in 2019 for a Lego theft ring selling thousands of dollars in stolen toys online. He was arrested after buying $13k in stolen toys from undercover cops. During a search of Azar’s Southeast Portland home, detectives found at least $50k in Lego sets stolen from Portland-area Fred Meyer stores alone. They also found more stolen items from other stores.

Azar’s theft ring used a network of thieves or 'boosters'. Azar met with the thieves and bought the stolen Legos for 30% of their retail prices. He then put the stolen toys up for sale online and made big profits. Legos are the targets of professional thieves because they are hard to trace and can be sold quickly on the black market.

Azar was found guilty of first-degree aggravated theft, laundering a monetary instrument, 10 counts of first-degree theft and 15 counts of computer crime.

Some sought-after Lego sets can sell for over $1,000.