Authorities say an East Coast couple has admitted to running a multistate retail theft operation that repeatedly targeted Lululemon stores, including one in Roseville, resulting in a loss investigators estimate at nearly $1 million. According to prosecutors, Jadion Richards and Akwele Lawes-Richards traveled across the country stealing high-end athletic apparel, moving quickly between states to avoid detection, and reselling the stolen items through online marketplaces.
The pair came onto Minnesota investigators’ radar earlier this year when loss-prevention systems at a Roseville Lululemon triggered alerts tied to a string of similar thefts. Police say the thieves operated with practiced efficiency: entering stores with large shopping bags, sweeping racks within seconds, and walking out before employees could intervene. After receiving a notice that the same alarm signature had been detected in multiple states within days, Roseville police launched a coordinated investigation with Bloomington officers and several national retail task forces.
Detectives tracked the pair to a Bloomington hotel, where they found suitcases filled with more than $50,000 in new merchandise, many items still bearing security tags. Court documents state the room also contained shipping supplies, burner phones, and records suggesting the couple had been mailing stolen products to out-of-state buyers. Investigators believe the Minnesota thefts were only a small part of the couple’s broader operation, which stretched across at least eight states.
Both suspects pleaded guilty under Minnesota’s organized retail theft statute, a law enacted in 2023 to prosecute large, coordinated theft operations that cause widespread losses to retailers. Prosecutors say this is one of the most significant cases brought under the statute and demonstrates how organized theft groups are now adopting tactics similar to drug-trafficking or fraud networks—using travel patterns, technology, and reshipping channels to stay ahead of law enforcement.
Sentencing is scheduled for January, and both defendants face the possibility of several years in prison. Authorities say the case highlights a growing national problem: highly mobile retail theft crews that can strike multiple stores in a short period of time and disappear before local investigators even receive their first report. Minnesota officials credit strong retailer communication and rapid agency coordination for the successful arrests.
