"Part 3 is finally finished," Ben Schneider told his audience on June 9. The catch? A temporary restraining order means he cannot post it.
That single sentence captures exactly how surreal the Reckless Ben vs. Bricks & Minifigs saga has become. What started as a YouTuber trying to help an elderly man recover his LEGO Star Wars collection has spiraled into police arrests, a fugitive investigation from Mexico, leaked body cam footage, and a GoFundMe sitting north of $456,000. If you enjoy building LEGO sets or playing brick-based titles like LEGO Party!, this story hits differently.
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How a $200K collection disappeared
Back in November 2023, Bryan Mansell and his father Eric Mansell consigned a LEGO Star Wars collection valued between $200,000 and $250,000 to a Bricks & Minifigs franchise store in Salem, Oregon. Eric's declining health prompted the sale. By November 2024, franchise owners Chrystal Law and Benjamin Gorman confirmed roughly half the collection had sold.
Then things went sideways fast.
Also in November 2024, Bricks & Minifigs Franchising (BAMF) issued a Notice of Immediate Termination against the Salem store, alleging Law and Gorman had defaulted on their accounts. BAMF claimed the remaining Mansell inventory was repossessed as part of that termination. New franchise owners Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson took over the location and stated the Mansells' agreement was solely with the previous owners, leaving the family with nothing.
The Mansells believe Best and Johnson effectively took their property. That belief is what pulled Reckless Ben into the picture.
The YouTuber who made it his problem
Ben Schneider built his YouTube channel on wild stunts, including breaking a world slackline flip record in 2021, and investigations into organizations like the Church of Scientology and the McKamey Manor horror attraction. On May 21, he dropped "I tracked down the thief who stole $200,000 of LEGO," and the internet's attention snapped to him immediately.
His approach was anything but conventional. Ben held mock "indoctrination" ceremonies for BAMF staff and raffled off pieces of the Mansells' collection through a non-profit registered under his satirical "religion." On the same day that video published, BAMF released an official statement distancing itself from the original consignment deal, insisting corporate "did not sign, approve, or authorize this arrangement."
Law and Gorman pushed back, claiming they notified BAMF about the consignment when their contract was terminated. They provided security footage from the night Best arrived to inform them their franchise agreement was over.
Arrests, heroin tips, and a flight to Mexico
Ben's second video, "I got arrested because of legos," dropped May 30 and escalated everything. While attempting to serve Best and Johnson with legal papers in Utah, Ben and his film crew were stopped and arrested by the American Fork Police Department multiple times. Police allegedly received a tip that his car contained heroin. His Airbnb was raided on suspicion it housed the Mansell collection.
Ben alleged the officers involved, alongside Best and Johnson, are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that this connection was driving the interference. He also claimed portions of the American Fork PD's body cam audio had been deliberately redacted.
On March 10, 2026, Ben and crew members were formally charged with stalking, targeted picketing, and trespassing. A judge reviewed the case and released Ben on bail. American Fork PD then issued a second arrest warrant, and Ben left for Mexico to continue his investigation from outside US jurisdiction.
The body cam footage nobody was supposed to see
American Fork Police Chief Cameron Paul released a public video on May 30 addressing the allegations, including a Dropbox link in the description. On June 3, that Dropbox link quietly received a new folder: "Unredacted Body & Dashcam."
Whether it was a hack or an upload error remains unconfirmed. Ben released a video featuring the alleged unredacted audio almost immediately. He claims it contains two significant conversations: one between an American Fork officer and Johnson where the officer appears to shield Johnson from being served legal papers, and a second exchange between officers after the Airbnb raid that implies a prior relationship with the property owner.
The authenticity of the footage has not been independently confirmed.
BAMF cuts Best and Johnson loose
On June 4, Bricks & Minifigs announced the "immediate closure" of the Salem, Oregon store and confirmed a "mutual agreement to part ways" with Best and Johnson, citing a "devastating social media campaign." CEO Ammon McNeff addressed Bryan Mansell directly, offering to sit down, review spreadsheets and point-of-sale data, and ensure the Mansells are "made whole monetarily."
"Whatever Star Wars LEGO was or remains in the Salem store, whether you identify as yours or not, you can have it," McNeff stated.
The offer to drop the lawsuit against Bryan was tied to that meeting happening. For many following the story, it felt like partial accountability at best, with Law and Gorman still bearing significant blame in BAMF's framing. The same week, Custom Minifigs, one of BAMF's suppliers, announced they were ending their business relationship with the company over the "serious allegations" raised by the investigation.
The TRO that's blocking Part 3
On June 9, Ben posted a video titled "bad news." On May 28, BAMF filed a temporary restraining order against Ben, Bryan Mansell, and Victor Nguyen (a collaborator who appeared briefly in the first video) with the Utah Fourth Judicial District Court. Judge Tony F. Graf, Jr. approved service of the TRO via email, putting it immediately into effect.
The TRO blocks Ben from publishing Part 3 of his investigation. His reasoning for complying, despite having the video ready, comes down to protecting the GoFundMe. At $456,000 raised, publishing could trigger the lawsuit and put that money at risk for everyone involved.
For fans who want to keep up with LEGO content while waiting for Part 3, the LEGO Party! guides collection offers a different kind of brick-based rabbit hole. And if you want to track down every minifigure possible, the LEGO Party! unlockable characters guide covers all 168 of them.
The legal proceedings are active, the GoFundMe keeps climbing, and Part 3 is sitting on a hard drive somewhere waiting for a court to decide its fate. Watch Ben's public channels closely over the coming weeks.
