Repeat offender accused of stealing LEGO sets, electronics in Charlotte retail theft spree

CHARLOTTE — A repeat offender is back in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center after a U.S. Marshals task force helped track him down, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said he’s linked to a string of retail thefts involving thousands of dollars in LEGO sets, electronics, clothing and other merchandise. Investigators said Elijah Williams has had over 100 interactions with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department since 2011 and has been charged with over 130 crimes since 2022.

“Legos are not cheap items,” CMPD Det. Nathan Brown said.

That’s why Brown believes Williams was, in part, targeting the lucrative toys.

“There are many reasons why people do it. It could be to fund their narcotics habit. It could be to fund their lifestyle,” Brown said.

Police said it’s not the first time Williams has done this.

He’s a convicted felon who has had 105 interactions with CMPD since 2011. Since 2022, he’s been charged with 135 crimes, ranging from larceny to habitual felon offenses.

Police said he hit the Target store off Albemarle Road in June, stealing bags of clothes and other items.

In May, he’s accused of storming into a Barnes & Noble in Huntersville, “heading straight for the LEGO display” and grabbing “armfuls of LEGO boxes” before leaving, according to court records.

CMPD showed Channel 9 photos of laptops, other electronics, LEGO sets and clothing that investigators said amount to thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise.

Williams is not charged with organized retail theft, but Brown said the allegations fit a pattern commonly seen in those cases.

“The only cost that you have as that individual is walking into the store, taking the items and leaving. You may be out gas money, but you’re making that back, and you’re making a profit,” Brown said.

Brown said organized retail thieves often trade stolen goods for drugs or guns.

“You mean to tell me that people are no longer paying cash for drugs? They’re instead trading things for drugs?” Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz said.

“Absolutely,” Brown said.

“They can take that and trade. You then turn around and sell that, even for 50% of what it’s worth. You just tripled your profit margin,” Brown said.

As for the LEGO sets, they’re back on store shelves thanks to detectives who put the pieces together.

Other items commonly targeted by organized retail thieves include detergent and power tools.

Williams remains in the Mecklenburg County jail. The U.S. Marshals Service’s Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force helped locate Williams.

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