(WXYZ) — Bloomfield Township police say three men have been charged in connection to hundreds of property thefts and over 25 stolen vehicles from metro Detroit.
Police say Raphael Smith, 29, Demerius Hollis, 30, and Samuel Bender Jr., 32, were all charged with motor vehicle theft, larceny of personal property from a vehicle, burglary, illegal use of a credit card and larceny of a firearm.
According to police, all three are being charged with conducing a criminal enterprise by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, detectives reportedly confirmed that all three of the men were involved in an ongoing crime spree.
Police say all of the crimes happened between October of 2022 and January 2023.
In December, search warrants were conducted at multiple residents and Smith and Hollis were taken into custody. Police say Bender was arrested in January by the Bloomfield Township Police Department. Police say during the searches, a "large amount of stolen property" was recovered along with seven stolen handguns.
The Bloomfield Township police are reminding residents to lock their car, remove all valuables and to never leave a firearm in their vehicle.
"This was a complex case that was closed due to the exceptional effort of the Troy Special Investigations Unit. The Special Investigations Unit is comprised of officers from the Auburn Hills Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, and Troy Police Department. These investigators work together in a collaborative, multi-jurisdictional unit that investigates criminal activity impacting the region," the press release stated.
