A $200,000 Lego collection becoming the focus of a civil RICO-adjacent lawsuit, restraining orders, and misdemeanor stalking charges is almost ridiculous. However, that is about the current status of the conflict between Ben Schneider, the YouTuber known to his followers as Reckless Ben, and Bricks and Minifigs, a Utah-based Lego resale business.
This is how the fundamentals work. The Mansells, a family from Oregon, claim that their father Eric put together a unique Star Wars Lego collection over many years. They consigned it to a nearby Bricks and Minifigs franchise, which allowed the store to sell items for a commission while the family retained ownership. The Mansells claim that the collection never returned after the franchise was transferred.
Schneider took the story and ran with it, creating a series of investigative videos that garnered millions of views. It’s the kind of internet-native journalism that didn’t exist a generation ago; it’s part confrontation, part documentary, and sometimes it’s more akin to a chase scene. He located individuals involved in the conflict, attempted to serve court documents in American Fork, Utah, and was arrested twice in the process. His next court date is July 1. He is currently accused of misdemeanors such as stalking and targeted residential picketing.
For its part, Bricks and Minifigs did not take the videos lightly. In May, the company filed a lawsuit against Schneider and a number of other defendants, claiming emotional distress, stalking, business disparagement, conspiracy, defamation, and trespass. Schneider was forced to remove his videos and cease uploading new ones after a judge issued a temporary restraining order. This action, predictably, only attracted more attention on the internet. Gag orders seem to have the opposite effect of calming down online disputes.
The most noteworthy aspect of the most recent development is how swiftly both parties shifted from litigation to a more cooperative approach. Schneider and Bricks and Minifigs jointly requested this week that Utah’s Fourth District Court forego the impending hearing in favor of mediation. As of the filing, Judge Tony Graf Jr. had not given his approval, but the proposed terms would allow Schneider to continue making videos, post court documents, and discuss the case in public as long as he stays away from the company’s offices, doesn’t speak to employees, and doesn’t engage in any harassment.
This is a fairly common legal trade-off. Schneider regains his position. The organization has boundaries that it can refer to in the event that the situation worsens. The underlying dispute over the Legos themselves is still unresolved, and neither side is taking responsibility. After taking over the franchise, Bricks and Minifigs claims to have only discovered a small number of sets connected to the Mansell collection, and it has offered to return those sets while disclaiming responsibility for the remaining ones.
As this develops, it’s difficult to ignore how much the case has come to represent a larger discussion about defamation law, citizen journalism, and what happens when a YouTuber’s investigation begins to proceed more quickly than the court system intended to decide it. Things could be temporarily calmed down through mediation. It’s still unclear if this will result in a settlement or merely buy time for both parties before the next round of filings, videos, and headlines.
