ROSEVILLE, Minn. — A Connecticut couple arrested on retail theft charges in Minnesota may be tied to a nationwide crime spree targeting Lululemon stores, according to investigators.
The Ramsey County Attorney's Office has charged Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, with one count each of organized retail theft.
According to a criminal complaint, the pair allegedly stole nearly $5,000 worth of items from a Lululemon store in Roseville on Nov. 13. One day later, the couple was found at another Lululemon store in Woodbury, where they were arrested.
Investigators said thousands of dollars of Lululemon clothing were found inside suitcases at their hotel room in Bloomington.
The criminal complaint alleges the pair would steal from one Lululemon store, exchange the stolen items at another store, then use the receipt to return the exchanged items and pocket the cash. Prosecutors said a retail crime investigator for Lululemon alleged the couple's scheme involved stores across the country, including New York, Connecticut, Colorado and Utah.
The criminal complaint states the estimated loss to Lululemon totals nearly $1 million.
A spokesperson for the Ramsey County Attorney's Office said a judge has set bail at $30,000 for Lawes-Richards with conditions, or $200,000 for unconditional release; bail for Richards was set at $100,000 for conditional release and $600,000 for unconditional release.
"Because of the outstanding work of the Roseville Police investigators – including their new Retail Crime Unit -- as well as other law enforcement agencies, these individuals accused of this massive retail theft operation have been caught," the Ramsey County Attorney's Office said in a statement. "We will do everything in our power to hold these defendants accountable and continue to work with our law enforcement partners and retail merchants to put a stop to retail theft in our community."
The statement added this is the first case the office has charged under Minnesota's new law to address organized retail theft.
