DETROIT, MI — Three Dearborn men have been charged in connection with a scheme to buy and resell stolen goods through a Detroit gas station, authorities announced on Wednesday.
Aziz Awadh, 40, Safwan Awadh, 38, and Hamood Fatteh, 22, were arraigned in 36th District Court on Friday. They face multiple charges related to organized retail crime, including conducting a criminal enterprise and using computers to facilitate criminal activity.
Aziz Awadh was charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, which carries a 20-year felony, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and organized retail crime, which is a five-year felony. Safwan Awadh and Fatteh both face charges of organized retail crime, while Fatteh also faces charges related to conducting a criminal enterprise and using a computer in furtherance of the crime.
Canton Township police began investigating the gas station, located in the 6500 block of Linwood Street near West Grand Boulevard, last fall. Authorities allege that the defendants purchased stolen goods—often at significantly reduced prices—and resold them for profit. Retailers, including Walmart, Meijer, and Home Depot, worked with police to confirm the thefts.
On Wednesday, Canton police executed search warrants at both the gas station and a Dearborn home, where they arrested the suspects and recovered thousands of dollars’ worth of suspected stolen merchandise.
Each defendant’s bond was set at $25,000, and their next court hearing is scheduled for January 31. Attorneys for the men were not available for comment at the time of the announcement.
