An American couple is accused of stealing more than a million items of clothing from Lululemon stores in at least five US states.
According to investigators responsible for the case, the couple from Danbury, Connecticut, resorted to trickery and embezzlement to steal merchandise.
The 44-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were each charged this month with one count of organized retail theft in connection with crimes that began in September, according to the County Attorney’s Office of Minnesota.
They were arrested at a Lululemon store in Woodbury, Minn., a day after going to another Lululemon store in Roseville where they and an unidentified man stole 45 items worth nearly $5,000. according to the charges.
In addition to Minnesota, an investigator said the couple also visited Lululemon stores in Connecticut, Colorado, New York and Utah.
After their arrest, police searched a Bloomington hotel room where the couple was staying, and found a dozen suitcases containing Lululemon clothing worth $50,000, with price tags still attached.
The male in the couple would first enter the targeted store and purchase an item or two, such as shorts and a T-shirt, according to the investigator’s report.
The couple would then remove the security tag from another item in the store and attach the tag to one of the purchased pieces of clothing. Court records indicate they used an unidentified tool to remove the tags.
The woman and their accomplice were then able to hide merchandise under their clothes and left the store just before the man, the investigator said.
After the alarm went off on his way out, store employees assumed it was the fault of the man’s bag with the item accompanied by a tag.
The sportswear maker known for its Lululemon yoga leggings reportedly estimated the value of losses linked to the theft ring at nearly $1 million.
The couple appeared in court on November 18.
The man was released on $100,000 bail and the woman was released on $30,000 bail. They each face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $35,000.
