Crime

$1.5M in stolen appliances, Lego sets found during search of area man’s home, police say

Piles of stolen merchandise are stacked in a room inside a Federal Way residence June 20, 2023. Police recovered an estimated $1.5 million in stolen products from a 32-year-old suspect’s home.
Piles of stolen merchandise are stacked in a room inside a Federal Way residence June 20, 2023. Police recovered an estimated $1.5 million in stolen products from a 32-year-old suspect’s home. Courtesy of Robert Onishi/Renton Police Department

Earlier this week, Renton police searched the home of a Federal Way man suspected of trafficking stolen merchandise. Law enforcement discovered hordes of stolen printer cartridges, Lego sets, medication, audio equipment, computer hardware and kitchen appliances scattered throughout the home.

Authorities found roughly $1.5 million in stolen merchandise scattered throughout the home Tuesday, according to a news release from Renton detective Robert Onishi. A 32-year-old man had been receiving the products from several shoplifters and was selling them online, according to the release.

Stolen merchandise is stacked inside a Federal Way residence on June 20, 2023. Renton police tracked stolen Lego sets and kitchen appliances to the suspect’s home.
Stolen merchandise is stacked inside a Federal Way residence on June 20, 2023. Renton police tracked stolen Lego sets and kitchen appliances to the suspect’s home. Courtesy of Robert Onishi/Renton Police Department

Detective Brian Jordan with Renton police’s Special Enforcement Team discovered that the suspect had sold hundreds of thousands of stolen products on eBay, Onishi told The News Tribune. Jordan worked with store loss-prevention personnel to track stolen products to the man’s home.

Jordan was granted a warrant to search the suspect’s home, leading to the discovery of piles of various merchandise stashed inside. Some items were found in shipping packages with delivery addresses from across the United States.

Initially, law enforcement tracked merchandise that had been stolen in Renton to the man’s house, Onishi told The News Tribune. Loss prevention personnel later determined that products had been stolen from as far as Snohomish County.

Stolen counter medication and priner ink cartridges are displayed inside a Federal Way home on June 20, 2023.
Stolen counter medication and priner ink cartridges are displayed inside a Federal Way home on June 20, 2023. Courtesy of Robert Onishi/Renton Police Department

The suspect was arrested at the scene and booked into jail on suspicion of trafficking stolen property, Onishi said.

This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 11:06 AM.

Jared Gendron
The News Tribune
Jared Gendron is a service journalism reporter based in Tacoma, Washington. If you like stories like this, please consider supporting our work with a digital subscription. Support my work with a digital subscription
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