DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man is facing charges after prosecutors say he used counterfeit coupons at stores across the state.
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Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced that his Organized Retail Crime Unit secured an indictment against Michael Justin Williams in Douglas County.
Investigators say Williams carried out a counterfeit coupon scheme targeting stores operated by RaceTrac, Family Dollar and Parker’s Kitchen.
According to the indictment, the scheme happened between June 10 and July 9, 2025.
Prosecutors say Williams used phony coupons on 20 separate occasions at stores in Mableton, Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Norcross, Forest Park, Atlanta, McDonough, East Point, Riverdale, Stone Mountain, Bogart, Pooler and Metter.
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Authorities say the coupons claimed to offer $8 off a pack of Newport cigarettes, dropping the price to less than $2 per pack.
“If we want to remain the No. 1 state for business, then we have to address the rising threat of organized retail crime in our communities,” Carr said in a statement.
Officials say the case was developed with the help of asset protection teams from RaceTrac, Family Dollar and Parker’s Kitchen, along with the Douglas Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
On Feb. 18, prosecutors presented evidence to a Douglas County grand jury, which indicted Williams on the following charges:
- One count of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
- Six counts of forgery
The attorney general’s office says Georgia businesses lose an estimated $3 billion each year to retail theft.
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