A couple from Connecticut faces charges for allegedly taking part in an intricate retail theft operation targeting the apparel company Lululemon that may have amounted to $1 million worth of stolen items, according to a criminal complaint.

The couple, Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested Nov. 14 in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Richards and Lawes-Richards have been charged with one count each of organized retail theft, which is a felony, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office said. They are from Danbury, Connecticut.

The alleged operation impacted Lululemon stores in multiple states, including Minnesota. 

“Because of the outstanding work of the Roseville Police investigators — including their new Retail Crime Unit — as well as other law enforcement agencies, these individuals accused of this massive retail theft operation have been caught,” a spokesperson for the attorney’s office said in a statement on Nov. 18. “We will do everything in our power to hold these defendants accountable and continue to work with our law enforcement partners and retail merchants to put a stop to retail theft in our community.”

Both Richards and Lawes-Richards have posted bond as of Sunday and agreed to the terms of a court-ordered conditional release, according to the county attorney. For Richards, the court had set bail at $100,000 with conditional release, including weekly check-ins, or $600,000 with unconditional release. For Lawes-Richards, bail was set at $30,000 with conditional release and weekly check-ins or $200,000 with unconditional release. They are scheduled to appear again in court Dec. 16.

Prosecutors had asked for $1 million bond to be placed on each half of the couple, the attorney’s office said.

Richards and Lawes-Richards are accused by authorities of orchestrating a convoluted retail theft scheme that dates back to at least September. Their joint arrests came one day after the couple allegedly set off store alarms while trying to leave a Lululemon in Roseville, Minnesota, and an organized retail crime investigator, identified in charging documents by the initials R.P., recognized them.  

The couple were allowed to leave the Roseville store. But the investigator later told an officer who responded to the incident that Richards and Lawes-Richards were seasoned shoplifters, who apparently stole close to $5,000 worth of Lululemon items just that day and were potentially “responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in loss to the store across the country,” according to the complaint. That number was eventually estimated by an investigator for the brand to be even higher, with the criminal complaint placing it at as much as $1 million.

Richards and Lawes-Richards allegedly involved other individuals in their shoplifting pursuits, but none were identified by name in the complaint. Authorities said they were able to successfully pull off the thefts by distracting store employees and later committing fraudulent returns with the stolen items at different Lululemon stores.

“Between October 29, 2024 and October 30, 2024, RP documented eight theft incidents in Colorado involving Richards and Lawes-Richards and an unidentified woman,” authorities wrote in the complaint, describing an example of how the operation would allegedly unfold. 

“The group worked together using specific organized retail crime tactics such as blocking and distraction of associates to commit large thefts,” the complaint said. “They selected coats and jackets and held them up as if they were looking at them in a manner that blocked the view of staff and other guests while they selected and concealed items. They removed security sensors using a tool of some sort at multiple stores.”

CBS News contacted Lululemon for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.

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A Connecticut couple allegedly stole nearly $1 million worth of Lululemon merchandise during a two-month, multi-state theft spree, according to authorities.

Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested on November 14 for stealing high-end fitness apparel from stores in Minnesota, Utah, Colorado, New York, and Connecticut since September, as detailed in a criminal complaint reported by multiple outlets.

The theft spree was uncovered after Lululemon investigators noticed significant losses, which escalated when the pair triggered a security alarm while leaving a store in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Richards reportedly accused store employees of racially profiling him, the complaint stated. However, a company investigator alleged the couple had stolen at least 45 items worth $5,000 from various stores the previous day.

Police apprehended the pair and discovered multiple credit and debit cards, along with a key to a Marriott hotel room. Inside the room, officers found 12 suitcases, three of which contained approximately $50,000 worth of Lululemon merchandise, as per the complaint.

The company investigator estimated the total stolen merchandise could be worth up to $1 million, though the complaint did not detail how this estimate was calculated.

Lululemon merchandise is known for its high price points, with clothing starting at over $50 and sweatshirts often costing more than $130.

“This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable,” Lululemon’s vice president of asset protection told NBC News.

“We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industry-wide issue.”

The couple allegedly used various tactics to commit the thefts, including one distracting store staff while the other hid the fitness apparel under their clothes and jackets, according to the complaint.