Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Lego Thief Sentenced 6 Years in Prison
(ZANESVILLE, OH)
On May 4, 2026, Joshua L. Hoskinson, 35, of Frazeysburg, appeared in the Muskingum Court of Common Pleas to be sentenced for charges that stem from a statewide string of Lego thievery.
The State, represented by Assistant Prosecutor Lucas Howard, secured a six (6) year prison sentence for Hoskinson, who admitted guilt to multiple counts of Burglary and Theft earlier this year.
Hoskinson attempted to steal nearly $25,000 in retail merchandise throughout his crime spree in several Ohio counties. The bulk of which consisted of Legos.
The investigation began in the spring of 2025, when Hoskinson committed thefts at the North Zanesville and South Zanesville Walmarts. The investigations brought together Detectives Brad Shawger of the Sheriff's Office and Jason Keck of the Zanesville Police Department.
Conducting follow-up, Det. Shawger learned that earlier in 2025 law enforcement was dispatched to Walmart in Lancaster in reference to a theft. At this point Hoskinson had already committed numerous thefts in other counties.
Walmart’s asset protection team, who had been attempting to stop him for some time due to his status as a serial thief, confronted Hoskinson with a trespass form, which he refused to sign. Asset Protection then advised Hoskinson that he is not to enter any Walmart in the entire world. This event led to Hoskinson’s next five thefts being charged as Burglaries.
On one occasion footage shows Hoskinson at the self-checkout with a full shopping cart. After scanning the items Hoskinson waits until the associate is distracted and flees the store without paying. This trip alone had a stolen value of $782.22.
Often, theft crimes such as these are charged as a misdemeanor level offense because some investigating agencies do not take the time to determine if that individual has previously been trespassed.
For instance, in another county Hoskinson is still currently facing six separate misdemeanor theft charges, all of which occurred after his trespassing from Lancaster.
The investigation revealed Hoskinson’s motive for his offenses; after stealing the Legos from different counties across Ohio, he re-sold them online to fuel his drug habit.
“The defendant in this case must have believed he would never face any real consequences for his crimes,” said Prosecutor Welch. “Hoskinson repeatedly chose to steal at the expense of a business and its customers. He had a great deal of success until he decided to continue his thieving ways in Muskingum County. He could have chosen to stop stealing, he could have chosen to steal in another county, but instead he chose to steal in Muskingum County. He chose poorly and will now have a long time to contemplate that choice.”
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