Executive Caught in ‘Ticket Switching’ Scam at Target Involving…LEGOs
- Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:50am by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: Wikimedia)
An executive at a Palo Alto software company has been caught fraudulently switching barcodes for LEGO sets at Target stores and turning them around for a profit on eBay.
The Mountain View Voice reports Thomas Langenbach, vice president of SAP Labs, LLC., was charged with four counts of theft after he was seen on Target security cameras “ticket switching.” It was revealed Langenbach has sold $30,000 worth of good on eBay — most LEGO sets — and 193 items were still for sale from “Tom’s Brickyard” at the time of his May 8 arrest.
Watch this KRON4 report on the theft:
According to Mountain View Voice, when police searched his multi-million dollar home and vehicle, they found many unopened LEGO sets and baggies of fraudulent barcode stickers.
Thomas Langenbach (Photo: Mountain View Police Department)
Here’s an example of how Langenbach would allegedly obtain items for a cheaper price, which he reportedly told police he learned through YouTube:
On April 20, Langenbach allegedly entered the Cupertino store at 20745 Stevens Creek Blvd. and purchased two LEGO kits. He added a barcode sticker for $24.99 to a kit valued at $69.99, and a second sticker for $49.99 to a kit valued at $119, Wylie said. That same day he allegedly switched barcodes on two LEGO products at the Mountain View store: one for $49.99 valued at $139.99 and another for $19.99 on a product valued at $59.99.
He allegedly switched labels on two LEGO products at the store near his home, valued at $89.99 and $279.98 on April 26. On May 1, he again went to the Mountain View store, purchasing a set valued at $59.99 for $19.99, Wylie said.
In addition to fraudulently obtaining LEGO sets for a cheaper price, Langenbach appears to also really enjoy the products himself. According to Mountain View Voice the police also found many drawers of LEGO bricks organize by color.
Langenback told police he didn’t intend to steal the items but merely wanted to see if what he learned through a YouTube video on switching barcodes would work. When he was found outside of the store with the item he purchased with the fake barcode, he said he had forgotten to switch it back. The authorities are investigating the hundreds of sets — some limited edition — found at his home to see if they were obtained at a cheaper price.
Mercury News reports the district attorney saying she didn’t think money was the objective for Langenback:
“Money might have been a part of what brought him pleasure, but I think all indications are there’s something way more complex here,” Hendrickson said. “Remember, he’s going out and paying for these things. This is something that he did in a painstaking way, and it took time, it took effort and it took expense. I don’t think you do that just for the money. There had to be something else. Beating the system? An element of compulsion?” supervising deputy district attorney Cindy Hendrickson said.
“I think it seems clear he took some enjoyment from having Legos around. But I think he also obviously had way more than any one human could possibly enjoy on their own in a legally acceptable way.”
Langenbach is scheduled for a hearing on June 10.
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54smom
Posted on May 24, 2012 at 1:32amYears ago my mother had a second hand store, people would switch 25 cent tags all the time. Just
Report Post »because they could. What a sickness. I say don’t put him in jail, make him work in retail. That will
cure him!
let us prey
Posted on May 24, 2012 at 7:51amLol
Report Post »GenOptimus
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:42pmLet-go my Lego!! I guess the Obumer idiots will want to pass a Lego entitlement Bill now?
Report Post »Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 8:42pmHe’s a stinking, worthless thief. Put him in prison to rot and be sure he gets the cell with Bubba who is serving life for molesting a dead horse.
Report Post »VanceUppercut
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:12pmHow dare you disparage this patriotic job creator? Treason, I say!
Report Post »Gman42
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 5:28pmBut I think he also obviously had way more than any one human could possibly enjoy on their own in a legally acceptable way.
I hope they don‘t mean that there’s lego rationing.
Report Post »CoGod
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 4:11pmCome on. The guy is broke. He just was buying his husband a gift. He is really broke after the $35,437 per plate Obama fund raiser. Cut him some slack. It’s for his husband.
Report Post »Time2fixthismess
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:35pmThere seems to be a method to his “madness,” he consistently paid at least 32% of the retail price. 1/3 of the retail price is the price of many of the Target LEGO sets when they are pushed into clearance. Does this cover the store’s costs of these sets? Possibly…..did he justify this by telling himself that he got a jump on the clearance price???? Probably, but it is still theft.
We really enjoy LEGOs at our house, the adults as well as the kids….there is nothing creepy about building with LEGOs. Some of the sets that they make have really intricate and clever designs. They allow you to build almost anything! There are robotic –bluetooth controlled LEGOs called mindstorm, those cost about $300.00. The Bionical sets feature ball and socket joints like you find in the human body, great for bio-mechanics. We are studying physics (home-school) so yesterday we made a small but functioning trebuchet out of LEGOs.
Stop sensationalizing the stories! The guy probably wanted to be an engineer, but instead was talked into an MBA and got stuck in a cubical…
Report Post »Time2fixthismess
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:17pm“But I think he also obviously had way more than any one human could possibly enjoy on their own in a legally acceptable way.”
I’m sure that we are way over our acceptably legal limit – here come the surveillance drones…
Report Post »Teaparty-grammy
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 2:59pmWell, you know, with the economy in the crapper and all, everybody is looking for ways to make extra money. This guy was just more creative than most. Still, with all the security and surveillance equipment stores have these days, you would think he would have better sense, and know that it was only a matter of time before they caught him at his little game. If only he’d applied all that ingenuity to thinking up some kind of legal enterprise . . .
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:22pmLincoln Logs….to….Legos
Pres Abraham Lincoln = Natural Building Blocks..to…Pres.BHO = Plastic/Interlocking
Note: this guy saw someone get drunk and pass-out with (x) amount of alcohol so…this guy started drinking alcohol to see how many drinks it will take to get drunk & pass-out.
Report Post »Justice_Gustine
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:04pmAnyone ever use SAP, the software company this nut worked at? It often make about as much sense as a high paid manager shoplifting toys…..
Report Post »Roberto G. Vasquez
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 3:05pmThieves don’t have to make sense. They just need to go to jail. And the DA needs to get a job with the Public Defender’s Office.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:36amI know that California is the land of fruits and nuts. But I have never heard of a Lego fetish.
Report Post »BeingThere
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:26amI wonder if Steve Jobs trained this guy before he was taken out by divine intervention when God apparently discovered that he was on a path to help Obama destroy the country??? LOL
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:58amLove those Silicon Valley liberals!
Report Post »aquablue
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:49ami’ve wondered how some of those sellers do it. tip of the iceberg is right!
Report Post »i bought my cat frontline off of ebay and i wondered how does a seller get so many boxes and sell so cheap?
that goes for otc items like nicorettes…. they could be outdated and some store employee pulls them out of the dumpster. or, they could be selling imposter-fake items. i’ve wondered about the broken into homes or stolen truckloads. if only we could hear some behind the scene stories.
FreedomWitness
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:42amOh yeah if you won some of these Lego sets from this guy expect a slight shipping delay.
Report Post »jujubeebee
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:47pmtomsbrickyard is no longer a registered user…..but was getting feedback two days ago ….those who don’t get their items will get refunds
Report Post »FreedomWitness
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:40amThe Legos are just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure that a lot of other, darker stuff, will come out about this guy.
Report Post »ricckky
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:30amI’m sure he is an obutaliar supporter. He feels entitled because logo is a capitalist company–What a jerk!!!!
Report Post »TWO BITS
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:28amThe good news is that Langenback has enough Legos to match his prison orange jumpsuit.
Report Post »ScreamingMimi
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:38amA bag of Lego’s to play with and share with his big room-mate ha ha
Report Post »1WhoQuestions
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:19amIdiot. Probably never thought he would get caught. If you wanted to see if it could be done you change the barcodes, pay for the items at the lower price, then immediately go to customer service to make it right (immediate refund or pay the difference of the items) and alert them to the potential problem. Instead selling them on Ebay means he is just after a quick buck.
That all being said, Legos tend to hold their value well and certain sets have an amazing resale value, especially those sets which have been discontinued. (I’ll be picking up a couple sets to resell a few years down the road, assuming our economy hasn’t collapsed by then.)
If anyone has complete set of the Ultimate Collectors Series edition of the Millenium Falcon, set 10179, for a great price let me know.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:16am“Langenback told police he didn’t intend to steal the items but merely wanted to see if what he learned through a YouTube video on switching barcodes would work. ”
Report Post »————————————————————————
Kind of like the Steve Martin bit about paying taxes: “I forgot.”
chips1
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:14amEveryone looks good at closing time. That‘s the only bar code I’ve heard.
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:36amI believe, “A 2 at 10, and a 10 at 2″ is also valid.
Report Post »evilhatemonger
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:13am–”But I think he also obviously had way more than any one human could possibly enjoy on their own in a legally acceptable way.”–
Report Post »WTF? Is there some sort of Lego perversion I’ve not heard of? What does that statement mean?
Is there a legally acceptable limit for Legos? I had no Idea.
He was selling them. The fact that his sourcing was legally questionable is a separate issue.
4xeverything
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:01amThat was the line that stuck out to me too. I don’t think there is a limit on the amount of Legos one may have but, I’m quite sure that there is legally acceptable amount of enjoyment one may have in general (with or without Legos). You will find it in the “good and plenty” clause of the Constitution. (Yes, that was sarcasm for all of literalists)
Report Post »Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:12amLegos are expensive.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:10amThat dude needs a girlfriend , they’re much more fun than Lego……..
Report Post »kfouche
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:37amIf I did this the cops and everyone else would say I was doing this for the money, I was operating a profitable business by theft, I don’t know which is the story here is it what he is doing or the explanation of why he was doing it. He was enhancing his paycheck, it was a second job he is a two bit thief just like any other thug, executive or not he needs to do some prison time.
Report Post »Dom321
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 9:35pmTrue. But, much more expensive :)
Report Post »bdandsl
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:08amLiar, cheater and thief!
Report Post »POdVet
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:03amJust for future reference, you could have just said “liberal” We would have known what you meant :D
Report Post »starman70
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:23amThis guy stole LEGOS like the POTUS and his henchmen stole the White House. ( I bet he and Jeremiah Wright would like to change the name of the presidential residence to something else.)
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:01amKinda clever actually……but pathetically sad.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:22amOnly clever thieves are successful, but thieves none the less.
Report Post »taxpro4u03
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:01pm‘entreprenuership’ at it’s finest — fergit the ‘contracts’ with suppliers and distributors — buy at cost and ‘upsell’ too much like work — :-) On the opposite side of the ‘capitalist’ system — this is EXACTLY what the powers that be have done with….. JOBS (once, America was the world KING of quality, production and value — then the politicians ‘made it legal’ to outsource it, sell off the natural resources to countries like India and china (just TRY yo buy a Gibson these days — or make one — without stepping all over regulations) — this guy decided to use his local Target as his distribution ‘source’ of choice but screwed up using fake bar codes (which obviously worked for a while) — gotta be a ‘legal’ way — like…. lemonade stands procuring the goods from ‘Sam’s Club’ in bulk, turning it into a ‘product’ in demand and making a legitimate ‘profit.’ Oh — wait…. the permits and regulations to implement would be cost-prohibitive, ;-)
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:00amWhen did Legos start selling $300 kits? WOW
Report Post »amyb73
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:31amWhich begs the second question – when did people become willing to PAY $300 for a set of Legos? :-/
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:29pm@ Amy – so right. When I was a kid, my brother and I spent hours playing with our legos. I doubt we would have had them with a price tag like that!!
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