A couple is facing organized retail theft charges that allegedly led to upward of a $1 million loss to Lululemon through a multistate enterprise.
Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested Nov. 14 in Roseville, Minn., and each was charged with one count of organized retail theft. They allegedly are connected to a nationwide organized theft ring that spans several states, including Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Utah and Connecticut. The incidents were said to have taken place between Sept. 1 and Nov. 14, according to a criminal complaint that was filed Nov. 15 in the Judicial District Court’s Second District in Minnesota. The operation was said to have involved stealing leggings and other goods from one Lululemon store and returning them to another store for fraudulent refunds.
Richards and Lawes-Richards, who were represented by public defenders at their bail hearings, could not be reached for comment Thursday. A media request to the Second District’s public defenders’ management office was not immediately returned Thursday.
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The investigation into the alleged thefts, which are believed to be part of a wider network, is ongoing, according to Ramsey County attorney John Choi, whose office brought forward the charges. “It seems to be it was primarily focused on Lululemon, because of the nature of the high price of the products that are sold there. That probably makes for a much more appealing target for people, who are engaged in this type of operation,“ he said, meaning fewer items could be stolen due to the higher value.
Lululemon, which generated $9.6 billion in sales for the fiscal year 2023, offers an array of activewear for working out or hanging out including a full range of leggings that retail from $88 to $128.
Richards and Lawes-Richards are accused of either stealing or instructing another member of the enterprise to steal property amounting to nearly $5,000 from a Roseville, Minn., Lululemon store on Nov. 13.
The following day, a Roseville police officer reported to the Lululemon store in Woodbury, Minn., after being notified by store employees about the couple’s potential shoplifting. The staffers had not seen the couple steal anything, but when they exited the store the security alarm went off, according to the probable cause statement in the criminal complaint. Richards, who was carrying a New York learner’s permit, claimed that he was being racially profiled, and that the employees set off the alarm on purpose, per the complaint. He and Lawes-Richards were allowed to leave the store, and the alarm did not go off, when they exited the store for a second time.
The police officer that reported to the scene noted that he had received a text from a Lululemon employee on Nov. 13 about an in-store theft of 45 items — valued at nearly $5,000 — that involved the pair and a third unidentified man. An organized retail theft investigator for Lululemon told the officer that the couple were allegedly responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to Lululemon via fraudulent returns of stolen goods.
After reviewing surveillance video of the Nov. 13 incident theft, the officer confirmed the couple’s alleged involvement. When informed that Richards and Lawes-Richards were at the Lululemon store in Woodbury, Minn., they were arrested. Officers retrieved a wallet with different credit cards and debit cards that Richards had allegedly hidden in his buttocks, according to the probable cause statement. He also had a JW Marriott room key in his possession at the time of his arrest.
In a statement issued Thursday night, Lululemon’s vice president of asset protection Tristen Shields, said, “We are deeply committed to creating a safe and secure environment for our people and guests. 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. We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industry-wide issue.”
Richards declined a custodial statement. Lawes-Richards, a Danbury, Conn., resident, agreed to speak with police and denied stealing from the store on Nov. 13 and claimed to be in Minnesota only for one day. On Nov. 14, after a search warrant was issued — following confirmation from hotel staff — investigators found 12 suitcases filled with Lululemon merchandise that still had the tags attached to them in a JW Marriott room that Richards had rented, per the complaint.
Choi said this is the first case in Ramsey County that employs tougher charges that Minnesota legislators passed in May and went into effect in August, following the support of the Minnesota Retailers Association and law enforcement agencies. “Part of what this law encourages investigators to do is to dig deeper. If you find other stores that have been victimized, you can include all of that as part of your charges,” Choi said.
If convicted of this felony, Richards and Lawes-Richards could each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail, a $35,000 fine or both. As a sentencing guidelines state, Minnesota takes into consideration individuals’ criminal histories, Choi noted.
Both individuals have posted bail but the parameters under which they were released were not known Thursday. The court ordered $30,000 bail for Lawes-Richards with conditional release including weekly check-ins as she has ties to Minnesota, or $200,000 bail with unconditional release. For Richards, the court ordered $100,000 bail with conditional release and weekly check-ins or an unconditional release with $600,000 bail.
