Bricks & Minifigs–Reckless Ben controversy
2026 internet and business dispute
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In 2026, the American retail franchise Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) and YouTuber Benjamin "Reckless Ben" Schneider became involved in a widely publicized dispute concerning a Lego Star Wars collection consigned to a BAM franchise in Keizer, Oregon. The collection belonged to Ed Mansell and had been placed with the store in 2023. Following a change in the store's ownership in 2024, Mansell's family, including his son Bryan, alleged that unsold portions of the collection were not returned. The collection's value was disputed: Bryan Mansell, the franchise, and statements from BAM estimated it at between $150,000 and $200,000, while store records placed its value around $100,000.[2][3][4]
- Allegedly illegal repossession of Ed Mansell's Lego collection
- Alleged collusion between police and Bricks & Minifigs
| Bricks & Minifigs–Reckless Ben controversy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 2024[a] – present | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by |
| ||
| Goals | Have Bricks & Minifigs return or pay for Ed Mansell's Legos | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
| |||
| Outcomes | |||
| Arrested | 5 (including Schneider)[1] | ||
| Charged | 1 (Schneider)[b] | ||
The dispute attracted broader attention in May 2026 after Schneider published a series of YouTube videos investigating the matter and criticizing BAM and the American Fork Police Department in Utah.[3][5] Schneider alleged misconduct by company representatives and police officers, while BAM and the police department disputed his characterization of events.[6][7] Schneider was arrested following activities directed at the home of one of the new Keizer franchise owners, Joshua Johnson, and was charged with stalking, residential targeted picketing, disorderly conduct, and trespassing.[1][3][b] BAM subsequently filed a civil lawsuit accusing Schneider, Bryan Mansell, and others of conducting a campaign of harassment and extortion.[3][6][8]
In June 2026, BAM stated that it had ended its relationship with the operators of the Keizer store, that the store would close permanently, and that it had contacted the Mansell family regarding restitution.[9][10] A court order temporarily restricted Schneider from publishing further material about BAM, until July 7.[11] The parties agreed to pursue mediation in the civil case.[12]
Bricks & Minifigs
Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) is an American retail franchisor founded in 2009,[‡ 1] specializing in the buying, selling, and trading of new and used Lego products through its over 300 franchised locations in the United States and Canada. It operates primarily through independently owned franchise stores.[‡ 2]
BAM was founded and originally headquartered in Battle Ground, Washington by collectors David Ortiz and John Masek, with its first retail outlet opening in 2010. It was sold to Utah brothers Ammon and Matt McNeff in 2018.[13] Ammon has been the chief executive officer since the acquisition.[14][15] With the change in ownership, the headquarters were relocated to Provo, Utah.[‡ 3]
Consignment dispute
In 2023, 83-year-old Ed Mansell, who was in ill health at the time,[16] consigned his collection of Star Wars Lego sets, which he had been collecting since the early 2000s, to a BAM store in Keizer, Oregon, then operated by Chrystal Law-Gorman and Benjamin Gorman.[2][3]
The agreement is reported to have continued until November 2024, when the franchise ownership was transferred to Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson.[9] Law-Gorman, Gorman, and their LLC have released statements and allege in a lawsuit filed on March 27, 2026, that their Salem-area store was wrongfully seized by BAM Franchising corporate without prior notice, that they were improperly forced out of the store under "threats to 'call the police'", and that they received no compensation for the confiscated assets.[17][18][9][19]
Ed Mansell's son, Bryan Mansell, claimed that after the change in franchise ownership, the new operators refused to return unsold inventory or honor the consignment contract.[3][20] In response, CEO McNeff stated that BAM Franchising terminated the prior franchise and maintained that consignment agreements are not authorized under franchise rules.[2] Law and Gorman have disputed this claim, releasing images of their former franchising contract on Reddit which states that the "franchisee may also offer consignment services".[17]
Valuation
The parties dispute the precise valuation of the collection. Bryan Mansell estimated the value of the collection to be $150,000 to $200,000.[2][3] In a November 2023 post announcing the consignment deal, the BAM Salem-Keizer Facebook page promoted the collection as being "estimated to be worth well over $200,000."[2] In a June 2026 interview, Chrystal Law-Gorman stated that the initial estimate was made during a walkthrough of the Mansell collection before she had fully examined the sets.[21] According to internal store records reviewed by YouTuber and investigative journalist Coffeezilla (Stephen Findeisen), after inventorying the collection the Salem store appraised the collection at between $85,000 and $120,000.[22][23]
BAM initially claimed that the collection was only worth between $60,000 and $80,000.[3][4] On June 4, BAM published a statement that "Both parties' own records place the realistic high-end value at approximately $95,000–$100,000."[‡ 1]
Reckless Ben investigation
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Original investigation and follow up content | |
 I tracked down the thief who stole $200,000 of LEGO (investigation, part 1) | |
| I got Bricks and Minifigs leaked Email | |
| Bricks and Minifigs responded to my video | |
| I got arrested because of legos (investigation, part 2) | |
| My response to the Police | |
| All the footage is released! | |
| My final message | |
| Bricks and Minifigs Tried to Get Me Arrested to Stop This Video (investigation, part 3) | |
| They Tried to Put Me Back in Jail |
The dispute gained wider attention after Benjamin Schneider,[1] known on social media as Reckless Ben, published investigation videos on YouTube regarding BAM in May 2026.[3][5][24] As part of his investigation, Schneider employed a series of publicity stunts, including organizing lottery-style raffles and creating a mock rival business called "We Steal From Old People".[3][4][25] These videos include allegations that corporate personnel involved in terminating the franchise agreement had ties to the incoming operators; such allegations have not yet been adjudicated in court, in large part because of Schneider's extensively-documented difficulties in bringing suit against BAM, and purported collusion by Utah police in creating those difficulties.[2] According to Schneider, the officers and new owners of the Keizer franchise, Johnson and Best, are all Mormons,[6] leading to speculation on social media that BAM and the American Fork Police Department are part of a "Mormon Mafia" conspiracy.[26][27]
Schneider shows that the current franchise owners initially offered to return the Lego sets to Mansell if he issued an apology, though they have reportedly not been returned. He subsequently sued the company,[5] though the Keizer franchisee store permanently closed soon after.[20] He also set up a GoFundMe to raise back the money lost by Mansell.[28][29][30] As of June 8, 2026[update], the GoFundMe has raised over $445,000;[3][31][32] Schneider announced that he would put the donations in a legal trust to help Mansell pay his legal fees.[33] On May 28, 2026, an internal crisis management email allegedly sent to BAM franchises was leaked and subsequently read on social media by Schneider.[34]
Company response
As of July 2026[update], the BAM website has posted four blog posts covering the situation.[‡ 1][‡ 4][‡ 5][‡ 6] CEO Ammon McNeff appeared on a livestream interview on May 29, 2026.[35][36] He stated that BAM Franchising was not involved in the disputed consignment agreement and argued that responsibility rested with parties directly involved in the original transaction.[2][37]
On May 30, 2026, BAM filed a lawsuit accusing Schneider, Mansell, and others of coordinating a harassment and extortion campaign against its franchise owners in Utah and Oregon using the state's RICO statute.[3][6][8]
On June 4, 2026, BAM claimed that the Salem, Oregon, store would be permanently closed as part of a supposed mutual agreement to part ways with franchise owners Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson. The company also stated that they had contacted Mansell and his family regarding restitution.[10][38] Best, however, still owns the franchise in Eugene, Oregon.[9][39]
Police response
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Bricks and Minifigs/Benjamin Schneider Media Release |
Schneider claimed to be involved in legal troubles in Utah,[15][24] having been arrested twice there[40] after visiting Johnson at his house in American Fork,[41] once in an attempt to serve him legal papers.[7] Schneider alleged that the American Fork Police Department searched his vehicles for alleged possession of drugs,[42] arrested and jailed him for multiple days,[43] and that his shoulder was dislocated by an officer during one of those arrests.[7] On March 10, 2026, Schneider was formally charged with stalking and residential targeted picketing, as well as disorderly conduct and trespassing after multiple alleged stunts at the home of Johnson, including posing as a United Parcel Service delivery driver in an attempt to obtain Johnson's signature, having a confederate pretend to be a member of Johnson's church, and hanging a sign alleging that Johnson had "stole a dying man's life savings" onto a neighbor's fence.[1][3] Schneider was scheduled to appear in court on July 1, 2026.[44] A second arrest occurred the following day, on March 11, with a judge-approved search warrant to search the Airbnb at which Schneider was staying to arrest Schneider and search for stolen Legos. Schneider and four of his associates were arrested, with everyone but Schneider later released.[1]
On May 29, 2026, the American Fork Police Department published a news release stating that there were no active warrants for Schneider in Utah and that they were not currently seeking him.[3][6] In the news release, the police also shared videos captured from the body cameras worn by its officers during their interactions with the parties involved.[7] Portions of the videos were either wholly redacted or had audio redacted.[7] Keizer Police confirmed an ongoing investigation reviewed by the Marion County District Attorney's Office, and civil litigation related to the dispute was reported to be ongoing.[20][2] Schneider posted a rebuttal of the police response on June 1, accusing them of having obfuscated the reason for his arrest.[26][45]
On June 3, a Reddit user claimed to have discovered unredacted body camera and dashcam footage of events, which they said had been shared via a public Dropbox link attached to a YouTube video from the American Fork Police Department.[46] Schneider asserted this footage had been released due to a "hack",[47] but the AFPD says it released the footage accidentally.[48][49] Reddit discussions claimed that the police department had deleted the files soon after their release.[46]
On June 10, 2026, Schneider received a gag order preventing him from posting and talking any further about BAM;[3][32][50] the gag order was later proposed to be "relaxed", allowing Schneider to post videos, resume investigations, and publish court proceedings,[44] although he would still be barred from making threats against BAM,[51] "engag[ing] in property destruction, stalking or trespassing; publish[ing] personal contact information; go[ing] within 100 yards of the Bricks and Minifigs offices, stores and its owners; impersonat[ing] anyone to get a signature or recordings; defac[ing] any signs; block[ing] any customers or solicit employees of Bricks and Minifigs to get confidential information", which Schneider agreed to, but the proposal had yet to be signed by judge Tony Graf Jr. as of June 25.[needs update] Schneider and BAM have also reportedly agreed to mediate their dispute in order to avoid a public "trial" or "lawsuit".[52][53] On July 7, the order was lifted; Schneider posted part 3 of his investigation a day later.[54][55] Schneider's lawyer Scott Young also filed a motion to move the case into federal court.[11]
Reactions
The controversy has attracted attention from YouTubers, legal commentators, journalists, and news organizations. Commentary channels such as Cr1TiKaL and xQc have criticized BAM and the American Fork Police Department's response to the controversy.[56] Devin Stone, and others from the YouTube channel, LegalEagle, have published several videos going over the legal issues in this matter.[23] Tara Strong, the voice actor for several characters in the animated Star Wars franchise, said Bricks and Minifigs should "do the right thing, and give the Legos back". She likened Schneider to the character of Batman, saying that she believed he was doing the right thing.[57][58] The comedian Josh Johnson, while on tour in Canada, clarified to his audience that he was "not the Josh Johnson from the Lego scandal".[59] On July 7, Courtney Love posted an Instagram post celebrating the lifting of Schneider's court order.[60][61]
On June 3, 2026, Patreon CEO Jack Conte announced in a YouTube video that BAM had sent them a legal notice to shut down Schneider's Patreon account. He said: "Bricks & Minifigs can stuff it. We are keeping Ben's page up. And if Bricks & Minifigs doesn't like that, they can sue us."[62][63]
The controversy has affected neighboring police departments that have no involvement in the dispute; dispatchers reported receiving a high volume of calls about the case, potentially delaying emergency responses, with some callers being abusive and harassing.[64] On June 4, a locally owned and operated BAM franchise in Sacramento, California, announced that they would close for at least a week from June 13, aiming to reopen on the 19th,[32][65] due to alleged harassment, including death threats, in connection to the dispute.[66][67] Another franchise based in San Luis Obispo, California, also reported receiving calls.[68] The BAM corporate office indicated that the backlash from this controversy had extended to various franchise locations nationwide.[69] Schneider has opposed any harassment, saying that "no one should be getting harassment at all. Not even the bad guys."[8] He said he had also been the target of death threats.[32]
In June, supporters of Schneider accused the AFPD of misconduct at a city council meeting in American Fork City.[3] On June 20, a protest in American Fork, which was joined by Schneider, went from a park downtown to the police station.[42][11]
In July, 2026, former Keizer franchise co-owners Benjamin Gorman and Chrystal Law filed a civil lawsuit against Bricks & Minifigs in Utah Business and Chancery Court; alleging fraud, breach of contract, and defamation, stemming from the seizure of their franchise that took place November 2024.[70]
