A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in an organized theft ring focused on Lego products. Winston Love was found guilty by a Tarrant County jury for stealing a substantial amount of merchandise from nearly two dozen Target stores across North Texas.
The jury reached its verdict on June 4, convicting Love of organized retail theft, which was classified as involving a deadly weapon. His arrest followed a standoff with Watauga Police in October 2025, which came after he allegedly walked out of a Target store with over $1,300 worth of Lego toys.
Investigators linked Love to a series of thefts in Target stores throughout North Texas, with the total value of the stolen Lego sets amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Other items, including coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, and PlayStation controllers, were also recovered during the investigation.
A search of Love’s residence uncovered significant evidence pointing to a widespread theft operation that spanned from Texas into Oklahoma. This operation was responsible for numerous thefts, with police noting that they were tracking over 80 incidents linked to Love since their investigation began.
Watauga Police Chief Jim Lewis remarked in October 2025 that Love was connected to at least 23 local thefts within a two-month period. At the time of his arrest, Love had eight outstanding felony warrants and was wanted for thefts across multiple cities, including Dallas, Irving, and Arlington.
This trial marked a significant application of Texas’s Organized Retail Theft statute, which became effective for crimes committed on or after September 1, 2025.
