A California YouTuber known for elaborate pranks and internet crusades is facing criminal charges in Utah after police say he targeted business owners connected to a fight over a missing Star Wars Lego collection.
Ben Schneider, known as “Reckless Ben” on YouTube,
posted several videos since last week documenting his quest to recover a massive collection of Lego sets and minifigures for an 83-year-old Oregon man and his son, Bryan Mansell. Schneider has alleged the Lego sets and minifigures are worth over $200,000, and were stolen by Bricks & Minifigs, a Lego resale chain headquartered in Utah. Mansell consigned his sets to one of the company’s stores in Oregon.
The videos have garnered more than 2 million views on YouTube, and the Lego resale chain has fought back. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the company accused Schneider, Mansell and others of coordinating a harassment and extortion campaign targeting Bricks & Minifigs franchise owners in Utah and Oregon.
In court filings, Bricks & Minifigs alleges the collection was lost while the Oregon store was owned by Chrystal Law. Law may have sold the collection without payment to Mansell, the company said.