Based on the available information, there is no direct evidence that Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, sold the allegedly stolen Lululemon merchandise online. However, the couple is accused of being part of a sophisticated organized retail theft operation that involved a specific method for profiting from the stolen goods:
The couple allegedly stole Lululemon products from various stores across multiple states, including Minnesota, Utah, Colorado, New York, and Connecticut12.
Instead of selling the items online, their reported method was to transport the stolen merchandise to different states and exchange it for fraudulent refunds24.
This process was described as a “never-ending cycle” that accumulated approximately $1 million in stolen merchandise from Lululemon locations nationwide4.
The couple’s alleged modus operandi involved stealing items from one Lululemon store and then returning them to a different store for fraudulent refunds, rather than selling them online2.
When arrested, law enforcement discovered 12 suitcases in their hotel room, with three of them containing an estimated $50,000 worth of Lululemon apparel34.
While online selling is a common method for disposing of stolen goods, the information provided does not mention any online sales activities by the couple. Instead, it appears they focused on exploiting Lululemon’s return policy to convert the stolen merchandise into cash through in-store refunds.
Per NBC News:
An investigator for Lululemon said the couple and the organized crime group they work for had been stealing from stores across the country since September and are responsible for nearly $1 million worth of financial loss for the company, per the complaint.
The investigator explained how the couple allegedly run their theft scheme, with Richards typically entering the store first and purchasing a couple of small items. Richards and Lawes-Richards would then remove a security sensor from another item in the store that they’d attach to the small items Richards purchased, then steal other items that they’d conceal under their clothes and jackets.
Lawes-Richards and a third person would walk out of the store ahead of Richards with the stolen items, and when the security sensor at the store would beep, Richards would offer his bag that contained the small purchased item with a sensor attached to it to staff, according to the complaint. The couple would then take the stolen items to another store to exchange them without a receipt.