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[Rajack]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-lego-bandit-dupage-met-0714-20150713-story.html

After hearing the criminal past of a Florida ex-convict who authorities said made $1 million selling Legos and other stolen goods online, a DuPage County judge Monday increased the man's bail on a charge he stole paintbrushes from a Hobby Lobby.
Ignatius M. Pollara, 49, of Tamarac, Fla., had his bond increased to $200,000 from $125,000 by Judge Brian Telander, who said he deemed Pollara a flight risk. Should Pollara make bond, the judge ordered, he would be outfitted with an ankle monitor.
The judge's ruling came after Assistant State's Attorney Mike Fisher said it appeared that Pollara, who Florida police say stole $2 million in high-end Lego sets and other toys in 2012, traveled to the Chicago area this month with the intent to shoplift.

"If he's let go on bond, I think he'll flee the state of Illinois and go back to committing retail theft like he's been doing," Fisher told the judge.

Pollara told the judge that he would return to Illinois for future court dates and would be happy to wear a GPS tracking device to ensure compliance.
"Having an ankle monitor would be beautiful," Pollara told the judge. "I could stay home and take care of my mother, who's in hospice."

Pollara served a year in jail for the toy thefts, which took place nationwide at Toys R Us stores, and he is on parole for that conviction. He had told his Florida parole officer that he would be traveling to Illinois to visit family, but the officer, knowing Pollara did not have relatives here, contacted local law enforcement, Fisher said.

Police, who were made aware of Pollara's airline flight schedule, were able to tail him in the Chicago area. He spent four nights in four different motels, each near a major shopping center, Fisher said. Police later placed a tracking device on Pollara's rental car, and a search of the vehicle turned up suspected stolen merchandise, the prosecutor said.

He was arrested July 3 after he was spotted trying to steal paintbrushes from the Hobby Lobby store on Roosevelt Road in Lombard. DuPage authorities charged him with felony burglary.

Florida authorities alleged Pollara financed lavish worldwide travel with proceeds from his shoplifting, and said in a police interview that one year he stole from stores in all 50 states. His habit of using a rewards card at Toys R Us eventually helped police track his string of thefts.

His mother, who police say acted as his lookout, was also charged in Florida and sentenced to probation.

Kleptomania? Kleptomania.

 

[Guevara]

Like a low budget version of White Collar (Blue Collar?), ankle-monitor and everything.

 

[Rajack]

Like a low budget version of White Collar (Blue Collar?), ankle-monitor and everything.

It is isn't it?

 

[Aaron Strife]

Great name. Ignatius.

 

[Chance Hale]

How do you get good at stealing? Dude was making bank.

Needs to be my engineering fallback plan

 

[JumpJeff84]

Kleptomania? Kleptomania.

I don't know if this guy qualifies as a kleptomaniac. Kleptos have an irrational impulse to steal, and steal everything they can for the rush. Half the time it doesn't matter WHAT they're stealing.

These dude was making bank. He knew what he was doing

 

[Javaman]

How do you get good at stealing? Dude was making bank.

Needs to be my engineering fallback plan

If its the same guy I heard about years ago, he would buy cheap sets, scan the ups code and reprint them on stickers to put on the big box stuff. He went to bunches of different stores and it took forever for a clerk to notice. When they busted him he had thousands of dollars of Lego's in his van.

 

[Ri'Orius]

How do you get good at stealing? Dude was making bank.

Needs to be my engineering fallback plan

If he were good he wouldn't have gotten caught. Taking things is easy.

It probably comes down to identifying the items that are small enough to conceal, easy to resell, and not subject to extra security (eg the cases video games are kept in). Come to think of it... high-end lego sets? Aren't those generally bulky and noisy? Seems like a poor choice.

I mean, I've gotta figure those security doodads on clothes are easy enough to get around, right? Shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on the remover things the cashiers use...

 

[ninjabat]

Haha, there is a comedy movie in here. Hollywood do it!

 

[border]

If its the same guy I heard about years ago, he would buy cheap sets, scan the ups code and reprint them on stickers to put on the big box stuff. He went to bunches of different stores and it took forever for a clerk to notice. When they busted him he had thousands of dollars of Lego's in his van.

I have to say that's a pretty brilliant plan, considering that most clerks aren't going to expect Lego sets to cost hundreds of dollars, and won't really be paying attention to what set is being rung up. Stick the UPC code from a $15 Lego Star Wars set onto a $200 Lego Star Wars set and nobody will know the difference.

Plus even if you get caught you can always just feign ignorance and claim that somebody else put the sticker on. I wonder how this guy managed to finally get caught?

 

[old manatee]

Lego sets cost a fucking fortune.

 

[poppabk]

I don't know if this guy qualifies as a kleptomaniac. Kleptos have an irrational impulse to steal, and steal everything they can for the rush. Half the time it doesn't matter WHAT they're stealing.

These dude was making bank. He knew what he was doing

Yeah, even with the really expensive sets you are looking at 2000 - 3000 sets. That's a lot of stealing.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

I have to say that's a pretty brilliant plan, considering that most clerks aren't going to expect Lego sets to cost hundreds of dollars, and won't really be paying attention to what set is being rung up. Stick the UPC code from a $15 Lego Star Wars set onto a $200 Lego Star Wars set and nobody will know the difference.

Plus even if you get caught you can always just feign ignorance and claim that somebody else put the sticker on. I wonder how this guy managed to finally get caught?

Reminds me of a story. I was working the self checkout lane at my store, and this dad with hia kid comes by and starts checking out some legos. They were the expensive ones too. So I stop him, ask to take a look, and lo and behold both the boxes had stickers from some discounted lego toys. He makes a scene, I send a manager to look, he comes back and repeats that those stickers were stuck onto the upc by someone. We try not to blame the person scanning it(even when its obvious). So the giy starts asking if I can discount it since it had the wrong price. I tell him no. He then foes the dick move of saying "Well can you tell my son(whos like, 10 inches away) that he wont be getting his toy?". At this point, Im thinking how stupid he is for trying to pull that card, so I turn to the kid and say "Sorry kid youre not getting your toy because your dad stuck the wrong aticker on it."

But yeah Legos can be easy to steal if youre not careful.

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Lego sets cost a fucking fortune.

This!