Three new people are charged in a $4 million scheme in which Michigan’s top law enforcement official says criminals stole data from people in multiple states to defraud food assistance programs.

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday three defendants who were arraigned last week in District Court.

Charles Williams, 35, Darian Palmer, 22, and Rashawn Stewart — all from Detroit — are each charged with five counts of Food Stamp Fraud and one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise. The latter is a felony of up to 20 years in prison.

They join Travis Newby, 39, of Detroit; Derriun Williams, 23, of Detroit; and Vanessa Williams, 47, of Highland Park, who were charged in May also on felony Criminal Enterprise charges.

Flashback: $4 million food stamp fraud ring leads to 3 arrests in Michigan

The AG’s office alleges the fraud ring illegally obtained electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card data from 8,000 people primarily residing in California but also in Michigan. The operation allegedly illegally reproduced these food stamp cards in Michigan then made fraudulent purchases from Sam’s Club stores in Metro Detroit.

Search warrants were executed on May 24 at eight locations in the area.

“Highly orchestrated organized retail crime costs Michigan businesses and consumers millions of dollars each year,” Nessel said Friday in a statement.

The investigation, which the AG’s office has said was spurred by information from a local police agency, was a joint effort between the state health department, inspector general’s office and Sam’s Club security officials. They handed it off to Nessel’s office, which has an organized retail crime unit working with businesses and local law enforcement.

The unit, which Nessel says was the first established in the nation, began in January to target criminal enterprises that steal from retailers and repackage products to sell for a profit. It includes two full-time assistant attorneys general.

Local law enforcement or retailers with evidence of organized retail fraud are encouraged to email the AG’s FORCE team.

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