Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that the FORCE Team has charged Ali F. Habash, 28, and Ahmed Al-Bahia, 22, both from Canton, with defrauding Amazon of more than $50,000. The charges were filed in the 35th District Court in Plymouth, with Al-Bahia arraigned on July 24th and Habash on July 29th.
Habash faces six counts of False Pretenses ($1,000 or More but Less Than $20,000), one count of Uttering and Publishing, one count of Forgery, and one count of Continuing a Criminal Enterprise, which carries a 20-year felony sentence. Al-Bahia has been charged with one count of False Pretenses ($1,000 or More but Less Than $20,000).
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The investigation began in February when Amazon’s internal investigations division alerted the Attorney General’s office to 32 accounts suspected of engaging in retail fraud, all allegedly linked to Habash. Between 2020 and 2023, Habash reportedly used these accounts to place orders for high-value products such as Apple laptops and gold coins, then fraudulently requested refunds while retaining the merchandise to resell for profit. The scheme involved obtaining return authorizations and either shipping back items of lesser value or not returning anything at all. In one instance in 2021, Habash and Al-Bahia collaborated on a fraudulent activity that resulted in thousands of dollars in losses to Amazon.
“This case involves significant amounts of money and an online retailer familiar to all Michigan consumers,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Manipulating the refund process to obtain merchandise for resale is as criminal as physical theft. I appreciate Amazon’s cooperation in identifying this scheme and working with us to hold these individuals accountable. The FORCE Team’s dedication to combating retail fraud is unwavering, whether in physical stores or online.”
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Kathy Sheehan, Amazon VP of Business Conduct & Ethics, added, “Large-scale refund fraud is a type of organized retail crime that Amazon and many retailers have battled for years, leading to significant losses. Amazon tackles this issue using machine learning models to detect and prevent fraud, along with specialized teams dedicated to investigating and stopping fraudulent activities. When fraudsters attempt to bypass our controls, we take action and work with law enforcement to hold them accountable. We are grateful for the Attorney General’s collaboration and believe these charges send a strong message about the severe consequences of fraudulent refund schemes.”
Habash is scheduled to appear in the 35th District Court in Plymouth for a Probable Cause Conference on August 9th, while Al-Bahia will appear on August 2nd.
The FORCE Team and the Organized Retail Crime Unit, established in January 2023 by the Attorney General, target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for profit. The unit consists of two full-time assistant attorneys general, special agents within the Attorney General’s office, and Michigan State Police detectives. They also collaborate with the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This first-in-the-nation unit uniquely has dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General.
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The FORCE Team works collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. Recent corporate partners in investigations include Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, and Lowe’s.
Local law enforcement agencies or retailers with evidence of organized retail fraud are encouraged to email the FORCE Team.
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