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August 07, 2025
LANSING – Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced felony charges against four Michigan men for their alleged roles in a large-scale counterfeit product criminal enterprise that operated for years across both Amazon and Walmart online marketplaces. The operation allegedly specialized in the illegal trade of counterfeit luxury brand perfumes and colognes.
In October 2023, Walmart Global Security contacted the Department of Attorney General’s FORCE Team to assist in their then-ongoing investigation into suspected counterfeit cologne and perfume merchants. That investigation revealed the alleged counterfeit distribution network.
In December 2023, the Department of Attorney General, the Michigan State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Department of Homeland Security – Investigations executed search warrants in Port Huron, where authorities allegedly seized more than 300 boxes of counterfeit fragrances. Further investigation led to a second series of search warrants in Sterling Heights, where more than 100,000 boxes of suspected counterfeit perfume and cologne were seized. The alleged counterfeit cologne and perfume seized included several fragrances from Victoria’s Secret, Bleu de Chanel, Abercrombie & Fitch, and L’Oréal.
Following the investigation, Attorney General Nessel has charged Shuba Barua, 29, of Sterling Heights, Ahasan Khan, 28, of Sterling Heights, and Bilal Ahmed, 28, of Warren with:
Kyle McIntyre, 38, of Port Huron, has been charged with:
“Counterfeiting is an organized retail crime – and not a victimless offense.” Nessel said. “It steals from legitimate business, deceives consumers, undermines brand integrity, and may endanger unsuspecting customers with unregulated product sourced from unverifiable chemical plants. I want to thank Walmart, Amazon, Homeland Security Investigations, the Michigan State Police, and the special agents and prosecutors of my FORCE Team, and every agency that worked on this case for their commitment to protecting Michigan consumers and businesses.”
“Our customers are at the core of everything we do at Walmart, and we are committed to taking strong action against bad actors who aim to take advantage of them,” said Edward Henkel, senior manager of Walmart Global Investigations. “This case demonstrates the power of public-private partnership to hold counterfeiters accountable and strengthen trust with consumers.”
"We applaud the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and State Police for their leadership in charging these individuals for trafficking counterfeit products. Amazon is committed to holding bad actors accountable, and we're grateful to work alongside Michigan law enforcement and Walmart in this effort,” said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit. “This case exemplifies the power of collaboration in protecting consumers and legitimate businesses from counterfeiters. When we combine resources and expertise across industries and with law enforcement, we create a more effective deterrent against illegal fraud schemes. Amazon remains dedicated to this fight and will continue supporting law enforcement partners in their pursuit of those who attempt to defraud consumers.”
“As consumers, we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to shop smart,” said Saleem Alhabash, associate director of the Michigan State University Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection (A-CAPP). “Counterfeiting is everywhere – and so are its consequences. Addressing this challenge requires a united effort, and I am glad to see the government, law enforcement, brands, and universities working together to educate and empower consumers.”
The FORCE Team was established in January 2023 by the Attorney General to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit. Two assistant attorneys general serve the unit full time, working with special agents within the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The FORCE team also partners with the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This is a first-in-the-nation unit, unique in the 50 states as being the first such unit with embedded, dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General.
The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. FORCE is an acronym that stands for Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement. Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe’s.
Each defendant is expected to be arraigned in the 41-A District Court in Sterling Heights. Arraignment dates have not yet been set.
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Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.
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