this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
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If you're not familiar with the LEGO scandal, the tl;dw is that this YouTuber Reckless Ben (Ben Schneider) has been investigating a stolen set of LEGO worth ~$100-200k (depending on who you ask) and the local police dept and criminal justice system has been colluding with the criminals (all members of the local Mormon church) to get him to STFU. The long version is, very long. You can check his channel for more.

Previously the local police dept managed to get a warrant to raid Ben's rental home with guns drawn and arrest him, based on what is clearly fabricated evidence. Here they appear to have done it again to get access to his Google account.

The linked video is mirrored on Peertube and timestamped to the relevant section.

Ben does also provide a copy of the subpoena in the video but I cannot vouch for its' validity, and he has used placeholder evidence before, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, the part that was relevant to this community was that in the course of their investigation they subpoenaed Google, and Google handed over basically his entire life to them. I'm sure this was very useful in their investigation.

I don't necessarily blame Google here for complying with a subpoena, but the moral of the story is to stop giving Google your data, because everything you say and do can and will be used against you in a court of law, with or without legitimate justification, and the more stuff you give them, the more ammunition you're providing the prosecutor.

This is also not exclusive to Google. Anything not local, self-hosted or encrypted a la Proton can be subpoenaed and the provider will have to comply. It just so happens that Google probably has more information about literally everyone in the world than any other particular entity.

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[–] Meatwagon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 59 points 1 day ago (6 children)

I've been following this and he keeps making so many mistakes. Stop talking to the police, bro. Stop trying to get the shop owner on camera.

File lawsuits against the company (I know he tried and the cop refused to issue the summons illegally, so you do it again after filing a complaint against the police), and file every lawsuit possible outside of that district.

But that's not good views for YouTube. He just keeps giving them more ammunition to go after him.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 47 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Lawsuits do no good when they are invisible. He's exposed insane police and judge corruption that would be swept under the rug becuase of no exposure. If utah decides they dont like you or me, we would be fucked, in jail for made up lies, becuase we dont have millions of people watching.

Yes he has also done some dumb shit for sure.

[–] cunnililgus@sopuli.xyz 21 points 1 day ago

After he got forcibly muted by court I believe he finally spoke to lawyers and then he won pretty quick.

I suspect he was playing 4D chess, and decided to show what your chances are in the system if you play it by the book and alone, which most people who can't afford a lawyer would do, and what also the thieves relied on. They told the victim directly try to sue us and you'll end up paying more in lawyer costs.

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[–] AlteredEgo@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 day ago (5 children)

So is the youtuber the one who got his lego stolen? Or is he just a journalist reporting on this story?

[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Ben is a YouTube entertainer that found out about this situation. He’s more activist than journalist. I think the original owner sold the collection to Ben.

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[–] megopie@beehaw.org 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

He’s reporting on it and trying to help the victim get restitution.

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[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 127 points 2 days ago

It’s good to have reminders of what is and isn’t private.

Google accounts aren’t “free”.

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 44 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Given the US is currently rotting from the top down and the bottom up I wonder if this guy will get lucky and find some help from the middle that isn't yet so corrupt.

[–] marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today 30 points 1 day ago

He has a civil rights lawyer with a youtube channel helping him on the criminal charges and has hired some other lawyer to help with the civil charges (hence the move for those to federal court). So he's getting there.

[–] ulkesh@piefed.social 25 points 1 day ago

the local police dept and criminal justice system has been colluding with the criminals (all members of the local Mormon church)

Sounds about on par for the corrupt, death cult religionists. Quick! Someone steal their magic underwear and ransom it back to them for the LEGOs!

[–] koniluum@lemmy.world 65 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yea I watched the video today and it was a good wake up for me to continue my process to move from google. I have started some time ago already but have been doing it in increments. I still have an android phone and moving away from it will be a pain.

[–] asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world 55 points 2 days ago (19 children)

GrapheneOS is a dream, if you have a Pixel.

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[–] dasrael@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 day ago

Some jack off corrupt podunk cop shop can clearly ubpoena your entire life if you piss off the wrong person, then fabricate charges or create circumstances to fuck your life. This is here, now. Reclaim your digital sovereignty from big tech...

[–] Gamechanger@slrpnk.net 28 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Story is interesting, the video is a chaotic abomination of bad storytelling.

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[–] potate@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

Damn, I hadn't heard about this but that video is a wild ride...

[–] LemmyBruceLeeMarvin@lemmy.ml 28 points 2 days ago (3 children)
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[–] nitroemdash@lemmy.wtf 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is this the same Provo that had the ugliest flag ever?

[–] pingveno@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Yes, the vitamin flag. But Pocatello, Idaho had a far uglier flag. Both have very nice replacement flags after receiving negative attention.

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[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Oh ive been following this. I said to myself from the get go he should not be using any big tech products at all. This is what happens.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If you'd self hosted, it would still happen. Just in that case, on stead of Google handing over your data, you'd have to do it yourself at the risk of being jailed if you don't.

The point it: if its data, you can be forced to hand it over. The only way to not having to hand over emails is it not store any emails at all anywhere

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