A couple, Jadion Anthony Richards 44 and Akwele Nickeishs Lawes-Richards 45, have been accused of orchestrating a nationwide scheme to steal nearly $1 million worth of clothing from Lululemon stores.
Authorities in Roseville, Minnesota, arrested the pair after they allegedly took nearly $5,000 worth of items from a Lululemon store on November 13, 2024. The following day, they were apprehended at another Lululemon location, and investigators found stolen items in their hotel room in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The couple is accused of a methodical scheme: stealing items from one store, exchanging them at another location, and then returning the exchanged items for cash. Their thefts spanned multiple states, including New York, Connecticut, Colorado, and Utah. The total estimated loss to Lululemon is close to $1 million.
Both suspects have been charged with organized retail theft, with bail set at $30,000 for Lawes-Richards (with conditions) or $200,000 for unconditional release, and $100,000 for Richards (with conditions) or $600,000 for unconditional release.
This case marks the first criminal charge under Minnesota’s new law aimed at tackling organized retail theft.