A Connecticut couple is accused of stealing around $1 million worth of merchandise from Lululemon stores across the country, according to a complaint filed in Minnesota District Court.
Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested at a Lululemon store in Woodbury, Minnesota, and charged with organized retail theft Nov. 14. According to the complaint, the couple had visited another Lululemon location in Roseville, Minnesota, the day before with an unidentified man, where they allegedly stole almost $5,000 worth of items.
An investigator for Lululemon said the couple and the organized crime group they work for had been stealing from stores across the country since September and are responsible for nearly $1 million worth of financial loss for the company, per the complaint.
The investigator explained how the couple allegedly run their theft scheme, with Richards typically entering the store first and purchasing a couple of small items. Richards and Lawes-Richards would then remove a security sensor from another item in the store that they'd attach to the small items Richards purchased, then steal other items that they'd conceal under their clothes and jackets.
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Lawes-Richards and a third person would walk out of the store ahead of Richards with the stolen items, and when the security sensor at the store would beep, Richards would offer his bag that contained the small purchased item with a sensor attached to it to staff, according to the complaint. The couple would then take the stolen items to another store to exchange them without a receipt.
In a statement, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, Tristen Shields, said the company is committed to "creating a safe and secure environment" for staff and shoppers.
"This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable," Shields said. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industry-wide issue."
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After their Nov. 14 arrest, officers obtained a search warrant for a room Richards had rented at a J.W. Marriott in Bloomington, Minnesota. Suitcases containing an estimated $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing were found in the room.
Richards and Lawes-Richards were both booked into the Ramsey County Jail on Nov. 14, according to online records. Lawes-Richards was released Tuesday on $30,000 bail, while Richards was released Thursday on $100,000 bail. Both are obligated to do weekly check-ins as part of their release, according to the Ramsey County attorney's office.
Attorneys for the couple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Their next court date is scheduled for Dec. 16.
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