Connecticut Couple Charged in $1 Million Lululemon Retail Theft Operation

A Connecticut couple has been charged for their involvement in an organized retail theft ring that allegedly stole nearly $1 million worth of Lululemon merchandise across multiple states, according to authorities.

Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, from Danbury, Connecticut, were each charged with a felony count of organized retail theft by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. The charges stem from a series of crimes that began in September.

The couple was apprehended at a Lululemon store in Woodbury, Minnesota, shortly after allegedly stealing 45 items valued at nearly $5,000 from a Lululemon outlet in Roseville, Minnesota, with an unidentified accomplice.

According to court documents, an investigator for Lululemon, referred to as R.P., revealed that the couple had been targeting stores in Minnesota, including locations in Edina, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka. The investigation has connected them to a larger retail theft operation, indicating a systematic and organized approach to stealing high-value merchandise.

Authorities are working to identify other potential accomplices involved in the theft ring as investigations continue. The case underscores the growing challenge of organized retail theft impacting major retail brands across the country.