10 Twists in the Bricks & Minifigs SCANDAL
Twists in the Bricks & Minifigs SCANDALS
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the craziest twists in the Bricks & Minifigs scandal.
An 83-Year-Old Man & $200,000 Worth of Legos
Back in 2023, 83-year-old Ed Mansell reportedly made a deal with a Bricks & Minifigs location in Keizer, Oregon, entrusting the franchise with his “Star Wars” Lego collection. It was said to be among the region’s “largest private ‘Star Wars’ LEGO collections,” with an estimated value of $200,000. While the store would receive a commission for any sets sold, Mansell’s family maintained ownership. This consignment was made with store owner Chrystal Law-Gorman, although Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson subsequently took over. By 2024, the Mansells sought to end their agreement over missed payments, but Bricks & Minifigs asserted that the sets were their property and the family wasn’t owed anything. With his father ill and his family lacking significant legal funds, Bryan Mansell turned to YouTube.
Enter Reckless Ben
Although several YouTubers were initially drawn to the story, their videos were removed amid alleged legal threats. Bryan Mansell found a new hope in Benjamin Schneider, aka Reckless Ben. Getting nowhere with corporate, Ben conceived several stunts to land himself in court, where he could make his case. One tactic was starting a business called We Steal From Old People, using Bricks & Minifigs as a tagline. Ben held a lottery for one of the sets, hoping to turn this into a criminal offense if BAM didn’t award the winners. Management repeatedly alerted the authorities, who were more sympathetic towards the store. What the manager didn’t realize was that Ben tricked her into signing a contract, entitling him to $5,000 with every police call.
A Default Court Victory
To bring legal action against Bricks & Minifigs, Ben purchased $10,000 worth of Lego sets from Mansell. When Ben reached out to the store about collecting those purchased sets from their inventory, he apparently didn’t hear back. Ben used this as grounds to take BAM to small claims court, separate from Mansell’s case. Several of Ben’s friends also bought $10,000 worth of sets from Mansell, allowing them to pursue individual claims. Ben and his friends all took out loans, although Mansell paid them back with the money they gave him. While legal papers were served, there was still no response from BAM. Ben theorized that BAM assumed the papers were fake. In any case, it appeared Ben had won by default.
The Oregon Store Closes
Coming out on top of his case, Ben returned to the Oregon store with nothing but a piggy bank and his undies, ready to collect. Unfortunately for Ben, the Oregon store had closed, with seemingly no prior announcement. Ben seized this opportunity to adorn the vacant store with a banner reading, “We Stole a Family’s Life Savings.” As photos of this so-called “official closing ceremony” went viral, it was confirmed that the franchise wouldn’t reopen. It was also reported that BAM had parted ways with Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson “due to a devastating social media campaign.” While the scandal had led to the store’s permanent closure, Mansell’s family still didn’t get any Legos back or compensation. Ben’s legal battle was just getting started.
BAM Files Lawsuit
While Ben had numerous heated arguments with BAM employees over the phone and in person, the higher-ups resisted the temptation to sue. On May 30, 2026, a little over a week after Ben posted his first video, BAM was finally compelled to take out a lawsuit against Ben, Mansell, and others involved. In addition to accusing them of harassment and extortion, BAM denied stealing anyone’s life savings and claimed that the Lego sets were worth closer to $60,000-$80,000. The company went on to claim that Mansell’s Lego collection was lost while under Chrystal Law-Gorman’s management. That contradicts conversations Ben had with Joshua Johnson, who seemingly indicated they did have the sets. Law-Gorman, meanwhile, argues that BAM “abruptly seized” the location from her.
Reckless Ben’s Arrests
With the Oregon location closed, Ben sought to sue Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson personally. Ben drove down to Utah, hoping to meet with Johnson and Best. This would lead to multiple encounters with the local law enforcement, including an attempt to serve Johnson at his home. That proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, resulting in Ben’s arrest. Although Ben was eventually released, he found himself back in cuffs as his Airbnb was raided. Four associates were arrested as well. While they were let out, Ben had to wait for his bail to be posted. The charges against Ben include criminal trespass, stalking, targeted residential picketing, and disorderly conduct, which could amount to five years in prison.
A “Mormon Mafia” Conspiracy Theory
As Ben clashed with the American Fork Police Department, he claimed in a video that Johnson, Best, and BAM CEO Ammon McNeff all had ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Supposedly, many of the cops that Ben received pushback from were Mormon as well. In a phone conversation with Ben, Bryan Mansell theorized that there was a connection between the local police, the Mormon community, and BAM, which is headquartered in Utah. Mansell believes that Bricks & Minifigs has made sizable contributions to the Church, which many of the cops are a part of. There’s currently no physical evidence supporting these accusations, although the phrase “Mormon Mafia” would trend as the scandal continued to gain traction online.
Patreon CEO Stands by Reckless Ben
Ben has posted several other YouTube videos concerning the Lego scandal, sharing leaked police body cam footage and an allegedly leaked BAM email. There are even more videos on Ben’s Patreon. In early June, Patreon CEO Jack Conte posted a YouTube video, claiming that BAM was threatening legal action if they didn’t remove Ben’s Patreon page. Conte kept his response short and sweet. Although Conte’s tone initially seemed to suggest that they may bow to legal pressure, he made it clear that Ben’s Patreon wasn’t going anywhere. If BAM didn’t like it, Conte happily welcomed them to sue. Whether or not BAM and Patreon do square off, it feels like Conte has won in the court of YouTube with this mic drop of a response.
The GoFundMe Pages
Even if the law ultimately sides with the Mansell family, they likely won’t see compensation from BAM anytime soon. To ensure the Mansells don’t walk away empty-handed, Ben launched a GoFundMe page for them. The page has already made more than double the $200,000 that the Lego sets are supposedly worth. Chrystal Law-Gorman set up a separate GoFundMe page to help with legal fees amid her complications with BAM. Of course, Ben didn’t just stop with the GoFundMe page. To advertise it, he printed out a banner alleging BAM “stole a family’s life savings.” This landed Ben and his associates in further hot water with the police. Ben also put the image on a shirt, with the profits allegedly going towards his legal battle.
Fleeing to Mexico
After being released from jail in Utah, Ben was prepared to go home and wait for his court date on June 8, 2026. Before returning, though, Ben allegedly received word from a roommate that the police had a warrant for his arrest. This time, he wouldn’t be eligible for bail. Ben concluded his second major video on the BAM scandal with the announcement that he had fled to Mexico. He’s vowed to continue his fight against BAM, with more videos on the matter sure to follow. It’s a story that only gets crazier brick by brick.
Have you been following the Bricks & Minifigs scandal? Let us know in the comments.
