Nationwide — Winston Love, a 28-year-old African American man from Tarrant County, Texas, received a 45-year prison sentence after a jury convicted him of organized retail theft. Prosecutors say he stole hundreds of LEGO sets and other items from Target stores across North Texas during a 50-day crime spree.
A Tarrant County jury found Love guilty of organized retail theft with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors said he targeted multiple Target locations and stole more than 200 LEGO sets, along with coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, and PlayStation controllers.
According to Chron, authorities said the thefts took place over a 50-day period in 2025. During that time, Love repeatedly struck stores across North Texas, carrying out fast and coordinated thefts.
The case escalated on Oct. 27, 2025, when Love fled a Target in Mansfield after a loss-prevention officer identified him. He sped away in a vehicle, drove on the wrong side of the road, and endangered other motorists, including school buses.
In early November, police arrested Love after a report of stolen LEGO products worth more than $1,200 at a Target in Watauga. Officers later took him into custody following a brief standoff at his home.
Investigators said Love operated across at least 14 cities in North Texas. He also had eight outstanding felony warrants for theft in multiple counties and was linked to a wider theft ring operating between Texas and Oklahoma involving large amounts of LEGO merchandise.
Prosecutors noted that this case was the first jury trial under Texas’ updated organized retail theft law, which took effect on Sept. 1, 2025. Authorities credited Target loss prevention staff and police departments in Euless, Grapevine, Mansfield, and Watauga for helping secure the conviction.