A Connecticut couple, Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested on Nov. 14 in Woodbury, Minnesota, and charged with organized retail theft in connection with a two-month crime spree targeting Lululemon stores across the country. According to a criminal complaint, the pair, from Danbury, Connecticut, allegedly stole approximately $1 million in merchandise from stores in states including Utah, Colorado, New York, and Connecticut, starting in September.
The couple was stopped after triggering a security alarm at a Lululemon store in Roseville, Minnesota, but Richards claimed racial profiling and was allowed to leave. Investigators later linked them to a theft the previous day where they stole nearly $5,000 worth of products. They were arrested the next day at a Lululemon in Woodbury, where officers found several stolen items, credit cards, and an access card to a Marriott hotel room. In the hotel, 12 suitcases were found, three filled with over $50,000 worth of Lululemon items.
The couple allegedly employed various tactics to steal, such as distracting store associates while one of them concealed merchandise in their clothes. In other instances, one would carry a purchased item while the other walked out with stolen goods, only triggering the alarm for the purchased item. Investigators say they stole from multiple stores in Colorado and Utah. The couple remains in custody, with a court appearance scheduled for December 16.
Also read: Justice Department Finds New Jersey’s Trenton Police Engaged in Excessive Force and Unlawful Stops
