2 days ago
4
[social_warfare]
A popular Instagram influencer couple from Connecticut couple stole nearly $1 million worth of Lululemon merchandise during a two-month, cross-country theft spree, cops claim.
Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were busted on Nov. 14 for swiping the swanky fitness wear from shops in Minnesota, Utah, Colorado, New York and Connecticut since September, according to a criminal complaint.
The alleged theft-spree came to an end when Lululemon investigators noticed the high theft loss after the pair set off a security alarm while leaving a store in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Richards accused store employees of racially profiling him, according to the complaint, but the company investigator alleged the couple had stolen at least 45 items valued at $5,000 from several different locations the day before.
Officers arrested the couple and found several credit and debit cards, as well as a room key to a Marriott hotel room — where they discovered 12 suitcases, three of which were filled with Lululemon products worth approximately $50,000, according to the complaint.
The company investigator estimated the couple had stolen up to $1 million in product, according to the complaint, which didn’t elaborate on how he arrived at that figure.
The company claims that the couple stole the merchandise, then returned it to Lululemon, to get a full refund. They then used the proceeds to finance their extravagant lifestyle – which they flaunted on Instagram.
“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 production said in a statement.
Tags ·fraud
[social_warfare]
English (US) ·