Police said $1 Million in Lululemon store thefts started in Colorado
By Brian Maass
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DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — Colorado police investigators said a series of organized retail thefts hitting Lululemon stores across the country began with a two-day theft spree along Colorado’s Front Range, which has led to the arrest of a husband and wife suspected of masterminding the cross-country retail thefts.
Jadion Anthony Richards and his wife, Adwele Adams, are facing theft charges in Adams County and are under investigation in at least four other states in connection with the Lululemon crime wave. Attempts to reach Richards and Adams by email, text message, and other electronic means were not successful.
In an arrest affidavit from Westminster Police, a detective who specializes in organized retail crimes outlined how Richards and Adams allegedly cost Lululemon $1 million in financial losses over just a few months.
“It’s exploding. Truly out of control,” said Chris Howes, President of the Colorado Retail Council, which represents some of the largest retailers in Colorado. “The organized retail groups that come to our stores in Colorado go right down the highway,” said Howes. “They’re very organized and they’ll knock off one store after another,” he said.
Howes’ group is attempting to get tougher laws passed in the Colorado legislature to address repeat retail offenders.
According to a law enforcement timeline, last October, Richards, Adams, and another unidentified woman stole from eight Lululemon stores along the Front Range in a 48-hour period.
“It appeared that this group was working together using specific organized retail crime tactics such as blocking and distraction of associates to commit large thefts,” according to the arrest affidavit. Police said the group stole from three Lululemon stores in Denver as well as stores in Aurora, Littleton, Westminster, and Lone Tree, costing the company about $31,000 in losses.
Within a day or two after the Colorado thefts, investigators said the group showed up in New York and Connecticut at Lululemon stores, then moved on to Utah on Nov. 6 and 7, where investigators said they stole about $21,000 in merchandise from six Lululemon stores. From there, police said they tracked the group to Minnesota where the pattern continued.
On Nov. 14, Richards and Adams were arrested at a Lululemon store in Minnesota. Police said when they arrested Adams, “Many of the articles of clothing she was wearing were Lululemon brand.”
Police said when he was arrested, Richards declined to talk to them, but Adams said, “that she has not stolen from Lululemon”. When they searched a hotel room where the couple had been staying, police said they found hundreds of Lululemon items with tags still attached. Investigators estimated they found about $50,000 in Lululemon merchandise in the hotel room.
Police also said when they arrested Richards and Adams in Minnesota, the clothes they were wearing were the same clothing the suspects wore in the Colorado thefts.
“We are approaching one billion dollars in losses in Colorado annually, which is incredible,” said Howes. He pointed out the large losses from organized retail theft reduce the amount of sales taxes collected and drive retail prices up for other consumers.
“Colorado is at a crossroads,” said Howes. “It’s easy for the bad guys to make their escape very quickly”.
Adams County jail records show Jadion Richards was booked into the jail Jan. 24 and is being held on a $5,000 bond.
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