A couple from Connecticut has been charged in relation to an extensive two-month shoplifting operation that affected Lululemon locations nationwide, allegedly resulting in nearly $1 million in stolen merchandise, according to a retailer’s investigator.

Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were apprehended on November 14 in Woodbury, a suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota. They are from Danbury, Connecticut, and face charges of organized retail theft after local authorities were alerted by a Lululemon crime investigator.

The investigation revealed that their alleged thefts date back to September, occurring in states such as Utah, Colorado, New York, and Connecticut, as detailed in the criminal complaint.

The lawyers for both Richards and Lawes-Richards have not responded to YSL News’s request for comments as of Thursday.

Allegations of Racial Profiling

According to the criminal complaint, Richards and Lawes-Richards were stopped after leaving a Lululemon store in Roseville, Minnesota, when the security alarm was triggered. Richards reportedly claimed that the store staff racially profiled him; however, they were subsequently allowed to leave.

The Lululemon investigator later claimed the couple had visited the same store the previous day, November 13, accompanied by an unidentified individual, and had stolen 45 items worth almost $5,000. On that day, they allegedly committed four additional thefts across Minneapolis, Edina, and Minnetonka.

They were ultimately arrested at the Lululemon store in Woodbury. The couple denied any wrongdoing, with Lawes-Richards stating they were in Minnesota to visit her aunt and had only just arrived.

Authorities discovered multiple credit and debit cards in their possession, along with an access card to a Marriott hotel room. A search warrant later revealed 12 suitcases in their hotel room, with three of them containing Lululemon clothing still tagged, valued at over $50,000, as per the complaint.

The total value of the stolen merchandise is estimated by the Lululemon investigator to be up to $1 million, although the specifics of this figure were not included in the complaint.

Alleged Theft Methods

The Lululemon investigator detailed that one of the couple’s tactics involved one person distracting store associates while the other stuffed products into their clothing, as described in the complaint.

Another method included the couple exiting the store strategically, with one of them holding a less expensive purchased item while the other carried stolen merchandise that had sensors. When alarms would activate, the person holding the inexpensive item would stop and present a receipt, while the other would continue walking with the stolen goods, according to the complaint.

The duo is accused of being involved in a series of thefts in Colorado on October 29 and 30, as well as in Utah on November 6 and 7, based on the complaint.

Both are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in Minnesota, with their next court date scheduled for December 16.