Benjamin Gorman says a missing document could become one of the most important pieces in the growing Bricks and Minifigs controversy. The former franchise owner from Salem, Oregon claims that despite allegedly promising to do so, Bricks & Minifigs (BAM) never provided a complete inventory list after taking control of the store. His comments come as the case continues to gain attention online following the investigation of YouTubers Reckless Ben and CoffeeZilla.The controversy first gained attention through questions regarding a Star Wars Lego collection sent by Brian Mansell and his father. CoffeeZilla later reviewed the case and suggested that the amount of Lego still missing may be much less than many people initially believed. Additionally, he said that Mansell may still be owed a considerable amount of money from the sale which allegedly has not been properly paid. Now, Gorman and former co-owner Crystal Law say the focus is turning to what happened when BAM took over the Salem store and what stuff was actually inside at the time.
Benjamin Gorman says Bricks and Minifigs never delivered promised inventory
In a recent YouTube video, Benjamin Gorman thanked CoffeeZilla for bringing more attention to the “Salem Lego Trials.” He said the increased attention has helped his legal fundraising effort, which has raised more than $80,000.According to Gorman, BAM promised to provide a detailed inventory list the night it assumed control of the store. He said the inventory was important because the franchise agreement would have allowed former owners to challenge the figures through an independent appraiser.Gorman also claimed that BAM did not use an impartial corporate representative during the evaluation process. Instead, he charged Brandon Best, who later operated the store with Joshua Johnson, of participating in appraising the store’s assets. Gorman argued that a conflict of interest arose because the couple had allegedly been told in advance that they could purchase the store.
Crystal Law challenges takeover claims in Salem Lego dispute
During a four-hour podcast appearance, Crystal Law and Benjamin Gorman discussed their version of the events surrounding the store acquisition. He said Brandon Best arrived at the store with a rented U-Haul truck on November 14, 2024, and argued that later clarification about the vehicle raised additional questions.Law and Gorman also claimed that they lost access to critical records after BAM took control of them, including emails, insurance documents, tax records and point of sale information. Law said that some of Brian Mansell’s belongings had been sold shortly before the acquisition, but had not yet been fully reconciled as he expected to update the records and pay for them during a future visit.The former owners also rejected BAM’s claim that they had left the business. Law said he did not sign any paperwork to transfer ownership or terminate the franchise agreement. He further claimed that BAM never properly transferred the store lease in the first place, citing lease issues as the reason for taking control.BAM has denied many of the allegations. The company had previously said that Law and Gorman had entered into an unauthorized consignment agreement with Mansell and said that company records showed that more than $52,000 were sold from the collection during their ownership.