Winston Love, 28, was convicted of organized retail theft with a deadly weapon after investigators linked him to more than $300,000 in stolen merchandise
NEED TO KNOW
- Winston Love, 28, was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $10,000 after his conviction for organized retail theft with a deadly weapon
- Police said investigators linked him to more than 200 stolen LEGO sets and over $300,000 in merchandise taken during a 50-day spree
- Authorities said the case was the first trial under Texas’ updated organized retail theft statute, which took effect in September 2025
A Texas man who stole more than 200 LEGO sets and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise during a multi-state retail theft spree has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Winston Love, 28, was convicted June 4 of organized retail theft with a deadly weapon and later sentenced to 45 years in prison, according to a June 10 news release from the Watauga Police Department and trial results posted by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
The jury also assessed a $10,000 fine, according to trial results posted by the district attorney’s office.
Credit: Tarrant County Corrections Center
According to a Watauga police press release, investigators connected Love to a 50-day theft spree in 2025 that spanned North Texas and Oklahoma and involved more than $300,000 in stolen merchandise.
Police said the stolen items included more than 200 LEGO sets, about a dozen coffee makers, several vacuum cleaners and multiple PlayStation controllers.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of organized retail crime and the danger it poses to our communities,” Detective J. Branscum said in the release. “Our department remains committed to holding repeat offenders accountable and protecting both businesses and the public.”
Credit: Watauga Police Department Facebook
WFAA, FOX 4 and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Love was arrested in October 2025 after authorities accused him of stealing more than $1,200 worth of LEGO sets from a Target store in Watauga.
The outlets reported that police tracked Love to a residence where he was taken into custody after a brief standoff.
Per WFAA, investigators recovered a vehicle, more than $5,000 in cash and narcotics while executing a search warrant at the residence.
According to Watauga police, investigators linked Love to theft cases spanning multiple jurisdictions in Texas and Oklahoma.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said the case was the first trial under Texas’ updated organized retail theft statute, which took effect Sept. 1, 2025.
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