PHOENIX — An organized retail theft incident led to thousands of victims losing more than $1 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Thursday.
A six-month-long investigation reportedly led to the seizure of thousands of cans of baby formula, more than 1,000 SNAP EBT cards, skimming devices, and equipment to commit fraud.
More than 2,700 individual victims lost more than $1.2 million in SNAP benefits, the attorney general's office said.
"Those participating in organized retail theft are on notice that in Arizona, their organizations will be disrupted, they will be apprehended, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Attorney General Mayes in a press release. "Organized retail theft and fraud harms all of us, from the victims themselves to regular Arizonans facing increased prices that result from theft. I want to thank our state agency and law enforcement partners, as well as our retail partners, for their support and work on this investigation."
Arizona Department of Economic Security Director Angie Rodgers said, “SNAP is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, and DES will continue to investigate all reported instances of EBT card skimming in partnership with the federal government and other law enforcement agencies."
Arizona Retailers Association, Kroger, Walmart, Target, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Gilbert Police Department, US Department of Agriculture, and Phoenix Police Department participated in the investigation.
The investigation is ongoing.
Further details were not immediately available.
