Supermarket giant Ralphs and its parent company were charged Tuesday with overcharging customers, false advertising and false labeling after an undercover operation by Los Angeles county officials.

The multicount criminal case, filed by the Los Angeles city attorney’s criminal branch, said Ralphs overcharged on prepackaged and weighed products such as fried chicken, bulk coffee, salads and fish. The chain was fined for similar violations in 2008 and 2009.

Ralphs and parent company Kroger Co. could face fines and penalties of up to $256,000 each. During the investigation, conducted between Jan. 20 and March 9 by the Los Angeles County Department of Weights and Measures, inspectors visited 14 Los Angeles Ralphs locations and found 27 overcharge violations, officials said.

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