A resale shop on Bridgeport Way is under investigation after authorities seized nearly 2,000 Lululemon items during a January search in University Place. Court records show the owner received about $920,000 in Venmo payments over ten months while selling the items online and in person. The case is being reviewed by corporate loss-prevention teams and federal investigators.
Prosecutors have charged 55-year-old Marra Ferrlan Carissimo with three counts of first-degree trafficking in stolen property, with an arraignment scheduled for Friday, according to The News Tribune. Last Wednesday search warrant at Carissimo’s University Place store recovered 1,770 Lululemon items, court documents show. Investigators determined that over 400 of the items were stolen, while about 1,093 lacked RFID records. A law enforcement officer noted in the charging documents that Carissimo was clearly recklessly buying or receiving merchandise she knew was stolen.
Records indicate the business operated as "New Lu and More" on the 2800 block of Bridgeport Way West, as per The News Tribune. Venmo records from September 2024 through June 2025 show $919,779.64 in payments linked to the account, with $72,745.51 withdrawn during that time, according to prosecutors. Most of the funds came from Lululemon sales, with inventory sold through a dedicated website and other private platforms. Yahoo News reports that Lululemon recovered over $100,000 worth of confirmed stolen merchandise and formally requested prosecution.
How investigators traced the merchandise
Lululemon’s asset-protection team used radio-frequency identification (RFID) scans to identify items labeled as unknown status at floor, indicating merchandise that left stores without being sold. The company’s organized-retail theft division notified University Place police about the situation roughly two years ago, launching an investigation that led to the January search.
Part of a larger pattern
Lululemon and other retailers have increasingly been targeted by organized theft crews across the West Coast, with incidents ranging from smash-and-grab robberies to coordinated fencing operations in strip malls and upscale shopping areas. Regional investigations have uncovered large hauls and led to multi-store prosecutions, indicating that reselling stolen goods through online platforms and private channels has become a common method. Similar cases and task-force efforts have been reported by CBS San Francisco.
Charges, law and next steps
Prosecutors plan to use payment records, RFID scan results, and loss-prevention reports as evidence to support the trafficking charges. Local officials have not immediately responded to requests for additional comment.
