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Hood Dynasty members Talmadge Packer, left, and Steven Azcona and Devin Coleman, right, are among 6 people charged in an extensive credit card fraud scheme announced by Gardendale police on June 4, 2014.

GARDENDALE, Alabama - Gardendale police are searching for five men and a woman who they say cloned credit cards in a nationwide scheme and used the money, in part, to fund a Birmingham–based rap group called "Hood Dynasty."

The investigation began in February and culminated Tuesday when investigators obtained 164 felony warrants against the six suspects. Though the fraud spanned the entire U.S., said Gardendale Lt. Bryan Lynch, a large concentration developed along the Interstate-65 corridor from Birmingham to Huntsville.

"It is a growing crime but it's not a crime you can get away with,'' Lynch said. "They think it's so complicated that nobody can figure it out, but law enforcement is getting better and better at it."

Police launched their probe after they were notified by Regions Bank of a point of sale compromise of various restaurants in the Birmingham area, primarily northern Jefferson County. Authorities didn't release the name of the restaurants, but Lynch said basically account information was stolen when the victims' credit or debit card were run through the register when they paid.

"Terminals are a computer, and any computer is vulnerable to attack,'' Lynch said. "Basically it's a network intrusion where they hack into the system."

Once they obtained the victims' information, they cloned cards and used them mostly to buy gift cards, which they in turn used for everyday expenses. Gift cards, authorities say, are popular with these types of thieves because they are more difficult to trace.

In this case, the gift cards were not only used for everyday expense, but also to make purchases and to help finance "Hood Dynasty." Police described "Hood Dynasty" as a gangster rap group that they say glorifies violence and crime. Several of those charged are involved in the group, include lead rapper Christian Talmadge Packer, aka Champ Tha Don Dada.

A look at the charges made by the suspects, investigators said, show much of them went to T-shirts, CD's and other things for "Hood Dynasty. "It was a way for them to try to support that music dream of theirs,'' Lynch said. ""If you have to commit crime to finance your music, you might not be doing too well.''.

On March 17, the investigation led to two simultaneous raids in the Holiday Gardens community in Irondale. Gardendale police, along with the Birmingham division of the U.S. Secret Service and the Irondale SWAT Team led by Lt. Paul Kellog, carried out the raids.

The results of that probe led to the 164 warrants, which police believe is among the most warrants issued in a single state case. Gardendale police Detective Chris Clark said there are hundreds of victims, and more coming forward as recently as Wednesday.

Those charged are:

-Eric Jose Azcona, 27, Huntsville: 28 charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, 26 charges of identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities and first-degree theft of property for a total of 56 felony warrants. His bond is set at $1.26 million.

- Steven Joseph Azcona, 24, Irondale: Nine counts of fraudulent use of a credit card; five counts of identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities and first-degree attempted theft of property for a total of 15 felony charges. His bond is set at $315,000.

- Christian Talmadge Packer (aka Champ Tha Don Dada), 24, Irondale: 21 charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, 18 counts of identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities, and first-degree theft of property for a total of 40 felony warrants. His bond is set at $885,000.

-Joshua Caleb Lewis, 25, Birmingham: 15 charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, 13 counts of identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities and first-degree attempted theft of property for a total of 29 felony warrants. Lewis' bond is set at $645,000.

-Devin Daiget Coleman, 26, Birmingham: 11 charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, seven counts of identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities and first-degree attempted theft of property for a total of 19 felony warrants. His bond is set at $405,000.

Steven Azcona's girlfriend, 24-year-old Kenosha Renay Shaw of Irondale, is also charged in the case. She is charged with two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, two counts of identity theft, and trafficking in stolen identities for a total of five felony warrants. Her bond is set at $120,000.

Authorities said they are searching for those charged. "I suspect it won't take long,'' Lynch said. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspects, especially Coleman, Lewis or Eric Azcona, is asked to call Detective Clark at 205-631-8787.