The feud between YouTuber Reckless Ben and Bricks & Minifigs has become one of the biggest online stories in the LEGO community. What started as claims for nearly $200,000 worth of missing Star Wars Lego collections has now turned into a legal battle that has included lawsuits, police action, fundraising efforts and millions of video views.The latest development occurred on June 10, 2026, when a GoFundMe page created for Brian Mansell and his father was restored after disappearing for a short time. Reckless Ben said the fundraiser was removed as part of a lawsuit filed against them. The fundraiser was later brought back online and at the time of writing had raised over $457,000 towards its $500,000 goal.As new claims, responses and court applications continue to emerge, many have struggled to keep track of the story. Here’s a complete look at how the Bricks & Minifigs and Reckless Ben controversy unfolded and where things stand now.
Missing Star Wars Lego Collection
The story begins with Brian Mansell and his 80-year-old father. He said he has placed a valuable Star Wars Lego collection, estimated to be worth about $200,000, on consignment at a Bricks & Minifigs store in Salem-Keizer, Oregon.According to the family, the agreement allowed the store to sell the set while taking a 35% commission. Ownership of the collection will remain with the Mansells until each item is sold. He also said that if the agreement ended before all the items were purchased then the collection should have been returned.In November 2024, the store changed ownership. Former franchise operators Crystal Gorman and Robert Gorman later claimed that they informed the incoming operator about the Mansell collection and he agreed to take responsibility for it.The Mansell family terminated the agreement at the end of that month, saying that payments had been missed and that they were not allowed to inspect the remaining sets. He claims the collection was never returned.Bricks & Minifigs later stated in May 2026 that the company was not part of the consignment agreement and was not responsible for the obligations associated with it.
Careless Ben begins investigation
After learning of the Mansell family’s claims, Reckless Ben begins posting investigative videos about the missing collection. He argued that the Lego sets were not returned to their owners, while the police reportedly treated the case as a civil dispute.As their investigation continued, the video went beyond the collection and a look at the people involved in the case and the wider company. Ben also pulled several attention-grabbing stunts, including creating a fake competing business.The video immediately gained millions of views and brought significant public attention to the controversy.On May 30, 2026, Ben released another video showing his attempts to contact Joshua Johnson, a Bricks & Minifigs employee and one of the franchise owners of the Salem-Keizer store, regarding legal matters.The same video revealed that Ben and another member of his team had been arrested and that police had executed a court-approved search warrant related to the case.Benn claimed that Johnson’s affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may have influenced the way he handled the situation. However, the American Fork Police Department rejected those claims. The department said officers were responding to multiple complaints from Johnson and his family and alleged that even after being warned, Bain continued to contact Johnson, take photos of his home and place signs near the property.
Lawsuit and company response
As interest in the case grew, Bricks & Minifigs CEO Ammon McNeff became more publicly involved.In body-camera footage leaked on June 1, McNeff accused Reckless Ben of attempting to “extort” the company. He also alleged that Benn and the Mansell family were working together against the Bricks and Minifigs. Ben denied those allegations and said that his work was a legitimate investigation.A day later, on June 2, Bricks & Minifigs filed a lawsuit against Reckless Ben, Brian Mansell, and others associated with the dispute.According to court filings, the company claimed the defendants engaged in a coordinated campaign that included false accusations, fabricated claims, misleading actions, and staged confrontations designed to harm the company’s reputation and business interests.The people named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations.
Store closure and GoFundMe refund
On June 4, Bricks & Minifigs announced that its Salem-Keizer store would be closing permanently. The company also confirmed that it has parted ways with franchise owners Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson, and said the business has been impacted by what it described as a destructive social media campaign.On June 9, new court documents were revealed, showing that Bricks & Minifigs had formally moved forward with their lawsuit against Reckless Ben and the Mansell family. Documents indicate both parties may be served via email and a preliminary hearing is set for June 30.Later that day, Reckless Ben uploaded a video titled “My Last Message”. In the video, he said that the third episode of his Bricks & Minifigs series was completed, but could not be released.Ben said, “I can’t post this or I’ll go to jail.”He also claimed that legal restrictions prevented him from discussing parts of the case and argued that he was not given a chance to fully present his case before those restrictions were imposed.Ben further revealed that the GoFundMe campaign created for Brian Mansell and his father was deleted. However, on June 10, the fundraiser became available again after previously displaying a “Fundmark not found” message. At the time of writing, neither Brian Mansell nor Reckless Ben had issued any additional public response following the resumption of fundraising.