Ann Arbor man dispatched teams of thieves to rob retail stores as part of crime ring, AG says

Elaborate crime ring netted $4M from food stamp cards

The Michigan Attorney General announced the arrest of at least three people and possibly more to come who were all part of elaborate food stamp fraud ring that topped out $4 million in 6 months at Metro Detroit Sam's Club stores.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Ann Arbor man accused of running a crime ring that involved stealing tens of thousands of dollars from department stores is the latest arrest for the state's Organized Retail Crime unit.

Richard Larsh, 55, was charged with conducting a criminal enterprise and several other retail crime counts after he dispatched small teams of thieves to steal merchandise from stores like Target, TJ Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack.

Larsh orchestrated the crime ring by having "boosters" remove items from the retail stores, then selling them for a profit out of his vehicle.

It's the latest arrest for the novel unit, which is the country's first partnership that includes both the FBI and a state attorney general. In addition to the AG, the investigation was overseen by Michigan State Police and the Canton Police Department.

"By working hand in hand with Michigan retailers affected by these thefts, our FORCE Team is able to quickly identify and investigate these coordinated criminal outfits that impact both retailers and consumers," Nessel said. "I am grateful for the collaborative efforts of the FORCE Team, the Canton Police Department, and our retail partners for disrupting yet another alleged theft ring in our state."

Larsh will be in court on Jan. 25, 2024.