MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Jamaican social media influencers Jay Icon (Jadion Anthony Richards, 45) and his wife Apple (Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 46) have admitted in Ramsey County District Court to stealing nearly $1 million from Lululemon stores across the United States.
The couple pleaded guilty to one count of felony organized retail theft under a “global resolution” agreement covering charges in both Ramsey and Hennepin counties for thefts in Roseville, Edina, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 30, where restitution will also be ordered.
Authorities said the couple was part of a larger group that used organized retail crime tactics, including distraction and blocking, to steal merchandise across multiple states. Criminal complaints indicate that Richards had over $50,000 in stolen Lululemon goods in his hotel room at the Mall of America JW Marriott when arrested on November 14, 2024. He also allegedly used multiple credit cards to process nearly $500,000 in fraudulent returns.
The thefts began in Colorado along the Front Range, then continued to New York, Connecticut, Utah, and finally Minnesota. Police said the group stole tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise during two-day theft sprees in several states before being apprehended.
Because Richards and Lawes-Richards have no prior criminal history in Minnesota, their attorneys said presumptive prison sentences will be stayed and converted to probation. As part of the plea deal, other charges against the couple, including additional counts in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, will be dismissed.
The case marks Ramsey County’s first convictions under a state law enacted in August 2023 to combat organized retail theft, following a surge in shoplifting cases across the Twin Cities.
