Couple charged in million-dollar Lululemon scheme

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A couple from Connecticut stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Lululemon stores in the Twin Cities metro as part of a nationwide scheme that netted $1 million worth of stolen items, police said. 

What we know

Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, stole nearly $5,000 worth of merchandise from the Lululemon store at Rosedale Center in Roseville on Nov. 13, police said. The pair were arrested at another store location in Woodbury on Nov. 14, according to a criminal complaint. 

Police found a dozen suitcases with more than $50,000 worth of stolen merchandise in a hotel room tied to Richards at JW Marriott in Bloomington, according to a criminal complaint. 

The couple operated a nationwide organized retail theft ring that targeted Lululemon stores in Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Utah and Minnesota, police said. 

The pair, with the help of at least two unnamed accomplices, stole merchandise throughout the country and returned it for a refund at stores on the East Coast, police said. 

According to a criminal complaint, the crimes were part of a "never-ending cycle" that netted $1 million worth of stolen merchandise from Lululemon stores nationwide. 

Organized retail theft charge

The couple hit stores in Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Edina and Roseville, police said. Both were charged with organized retail theft, which is its own crime under a law that took effect in 2023. 

"When the prosecutors have this broader tool they can take a look at all the people involved," said State Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, who wrote the law. "They can all be charged as part of the enterprise and each would be subject to those penalties."

If convicted, each of the suspects faces up to 15 years in prison.