August 12, 2008

OAK PARK, MICH. The Michigan State Police (MSP) executed 13 search warrants at grocery stores in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties on August 8, 2008, as part of an investigation into stolen food products. Approximately 20.5 pallets of stolen food products, worth over $50,000, were seized.

Investigators from the MSP Metro North Post were tipped off to the stolen crackers and cookies by the manufacturer, Kraft Foods, who had two tractor-trailers containing food products stolen from a shipping yard in Georgia in April.

Prior to the search warrants, undercover agents purchased stolen products from 13 grocery stores in the metro Detroit area. The stores selling the stolen products included: Oak Ridge Market at 30800 Hoover in Warren; Schotts Market at 16659 E. 14 Mile Rd. in Fraser; Oak Ridge Market at 31240 Groesbeck in Fraser; Oak Ridge Market at 2560 Crooks Rd. in Royal Oak; Value Center Market at 1485 W. 14 Mile Rd. in Madison Heights.; Antonios Meats at 38900 Ryan Rd. in Sterling Heights.; Oak Ridge Market at 26688 Ryan Rd. in Warren; Value Center Market at 22728 Ryan Rd. in Warren; Mike's Fresh Market at 14383 Gratiot Ave. in Detroit; Parkway Foods at 13210 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit; Farmer John's at 9731 Harper Ave. in Detroit; Family Fair at 700 Chene St. in Detroit; and Mazen Foods at 12740 Gratiot Ave. in Detroit.

The products included:

• 8,267 individual boxes of Nilla Wafers with product code 14OCT08AX101
• 4,873 individual boxes of Ritz Bits Sandwiches - Peanut Butter with product code 01OCT08AX203

According to the company, products with these specific code dates were traced to the stolen shipment and were not sold through normal company channels in Michigan. Products with these code dates sold through normal company channels are not implicated in the theft of the trailers.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Contact: D/Sgt. David Robertson, MSP Metro North Post, (248) 584-5773