**How to Place an Obituary with the Pioneer Press**
To place an obituary, please gather all the information listed in our obituary checklist and email it to [email protected]. Currently, obituaries cannot be placed through our website. For any questions, please contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263.
**General Information Required**
– Your full name
– Address (City, State, Zip Code)
– Phone number
– An alternate phone number (if available)
**Obituary Specifications**
– Name of the deceased
– Obituary text
– A photo in JPEG or PDF format is preferred; TIF and other file types are accepted (we will contact you if there are any issues)
– Desired ad run dates
*Discounts:*
There is a discount for running the obituary more than one day, but this must be scheduled and paid for on the first run date. If using a photo, it must appear on all days for the discount to apply.
**Publication Policies**
**Verification of Death**
To publish an obituary, please provide the name and phone number of the funeral home or cremation society handling the arrangements. We must verify the death during their business hours. If the body has been donated to a program such as the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, provide their phone number for verification instead. Alternatively, a death certificate may be used, but only one verification method is required.
**Guestbook and Outside Websites**
We cannot reference other media sources or external obituary guestbooks. However, we may include a funeral home website or a family contact email. Contact us with questions.
**Obituary Process**
After submission, we will send you an email or fax with a proof for your review. The proof will include the price and publication dates. Please review the proof carefully and notify us of any errors before publication. We are not responsible for errors identified after publication.
**Online Obituaries**
Changes to an online obituary can be made through the obituary desk. Please call us with questions.
**Payment Procedure**
Pre-payment is required for all notices. Submit your payment information by calling 651-228-5263 after approving your proof.
– **Credit Card:** Payment is accepted by phone only (PCI regulations)
– **EFT (Check by phone):** Please provide your routing and account number
**Rates**
– Minimum charge: $162 for up to 12 lines
– Each line after the first 12: $12 per line
– Obituaries over 40 lines: 7.5% discount per line
– Second run date: 20% discount off both the first and second placements
– Place three obituaries, the third placement is free
– Each photo published: $125 per day (e.g., 2 photos over 2 days = $500)
**Deadlines**
Please adhere to our deadlines to ensure your obituary is published on the desired date.
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (closed weekends and holidays).
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**Memoriam (Non-Obituary) Requests**
A memoriam is a remembrance of a loved one and not an obituary. Rates for memoriams differ from those for obituaries. For more information or to place a memoriam:
– Call: 651-228-5280
– Email: [email protected]
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**Connecticut Couple Pleads Guilty in Twin Cities Organized Retail Theft Case**
A Connecticut couple who authorities say was part of a group that stole nearly $1 million in merchandise from Lululemon stores across the United States pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court on Friday to stealing from several of the retailer’s Twin Cities locations last year.
Appearing via Zoom in separate hearings, Jadion Anthony Richards, 45, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 46, both pleaded guilty to one count of felony organized retail theft. This was under a “global resolution” agreement covering charges from both Ramsey and Hennepin counties, related to thefts at Lululemon stores in Roseville, Edina, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka.
The charges filed against Richards and Lawes-Richards in November 2024 marked Ramsey County’s first use of a new state law—effective August 2023—to address organized retail theft. These cases also resulted in the county’s first convictions under the statute. The law was enacted after an uptick in shoplifting across the metro, including high-profile “grab-and-run” thefts from Best Buy stores on Black Friday in 2021.
Richards and Lawes-Richards pleaded guilty exactly one year after stealing nearly $5,000 in merchandise from the Rosedale mall’s Lululemon store in Roseville. They were arrested the next day, after a Lululemon organized retail crime investigator alerted police to their presence at the Woodbury store.
As part of the plea agreement, other charges will be dismissed, including a second count of organized retail theft in Ramsey County and two counts of felony theft in Hennepin County. Because they have no previous criminal history in Minnesota, sentencing guidelines recommend stayed prison sentences and probation. Restitution will be determined at their sentencing hearings, scheduled for January 30.
**Theft Scheme Explained**
According to criminal complaints, Richards was found with a JW Marriott key card when arrested on Nov. 14, 2024. Police discovered more than $50,000 in stolen Lululemon items in his hotel room at Mall of America in Bloomington. The Lululemon investigator reported that between September and November 2024, the couple stole over $30,000 from Twin Cities stores and that their group may have stolen close to $1 million nationwide, with thefts in Colorado and Utah before arriving in Minnesota.
The group’s method involved targeting several stores in a particular area over two days, returning to the East Coast to make unverified exchanges—returning goods without receipts—or exchanging them for credit. After a break, they resumed their thefts elsewhere.
One particularly damaging aspect was using fraudulent returns: Richards processed nearly half a million dollars in returns using at least six different credit cards.
On surveillance video, the group used distraction tactics, such as blocking store staff’s view or holding up jackets. Merchandise was stuffed under jackets or shirts, with Lawes-Richards suspected of using a strap under her clothing. Security sensors were removed with a tool, and sensors were reattached to legitimate purchases to avoid suspicion. They would exit together, with the women leading; if the theft alarm sounded, Richards would show his bag containing purchased items while the rest left unnoticed.
**Minnesota’s Organized Retail Theft Law**
Minnesota’s organized retail theft law targets people who work in groups to steal and resell items—usually online. A conviction requires involvement with at least one other person in a retail theft “enterprise,” participation in two or more thefts in six months, and attempts to sell or return items for value. The law increases penalties: thefts over $5,000 can result in up to 15 years in prison (vs. 10 years under other statutes), with additional penalties if there was a foreseeable risk of harm during the offense.
As of November 7, prosecutors in 11 Minnesota counties have filed 45 charges under the law. Nineteen were filed this year; 24 were filed in 2024. Dakota, Hennepin, Scott, and Washington counties have each secured one conviction.
https://www.twincities.com/2025/11/14/roseville-lululemon-thefts-guilty-plea/
