Woman pleads guilty in connection to Minneapolis Lululemon theft ring
A woman has pleaded guilty on a charge in connection to a theft scheme involving a Minneapolis Lululemon store.
According to court documents, Kathy Nguyen, 25, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of obstruct legal process – lawful execution legal process, which is a misdemeanor. She has been sentenced to 90 days in prison, with a judge postponing the sentence for one year. Nguyen has also been ordered to pay a $50 fine.
Nguyen from Crystal, Minnesota, had faced a felony count of organized retail theft – employed by or associated with a retail theft enterprise, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge as part of a plea agreement.
According to the criminal complaint, police were first called to the North Loop store in June 2024 about multiple thefts. Investigators located surveillance camera footage showing a 28-year-old woman taking store bags and filling them with clothes before leaving.
Police placed GPS trackers into several store bags, eventually pointing them toward a Crystal nail salon and a residence in Crystal where Nguyen and My Hoang Thi Van reside.
Investigators later observed a 28-year-old woman walking into the salon with Lululemon bags before leaving with "a large sum of money in her hand," according to the complaint.
Police say Van was also seen leaving the salon with "large plastic garbage bags." During a traffic stop, officials confirmed the bags contained stolen Lululemon merchandise.
Police say the total amount of stolen goods "far exceeds $5,000," according to the complaint.
On Dec. 16, 2024, Van pleaded guilty to felony organized retail theft. In January 2025, she was placed on supervised probation for 2 years and ordered to complete a 10-day sentence to service program.
The 28-year-old woman, who has not been charged yet, was arrested in late August 2024 following another shoplifting incident at the store.
Note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 31, 2025.
