TROY (WWJ) – Three men are facing a long list of charges for allegedly stealing more than two dozen cars and stealing items from hundreds of other vehicles.
Raphael Smith, Demerius Hollis and Samuel Bender Jr. have all been charged after a months-long investigation by Troy police and other local agencies.
The crime spree happened between October 2022 and January 2023, according to Troy police officials.
During the investigation, detectives were able to identify Bender as a suspect responsible for using a credit card at a gas station that had been stolen from a vehicle. Surveillance camera reviews then helped identify Smith and Hollis as occupants of several stolen vehicles, officials said.
Detectives conducted surveillance on the suspects and confirmed that all three of them were involved in the ongoing crime spree.
Officers executed search warrants at homes in Detroit on Dec. 29 and arrested Smith and Hollis. Bender was arrested by Bloomfield Township police last month.
During the search warrants, police recovered “a large amount of stolen property,” including seven stolen handguns. Authorities did not say what other items the suspects allegedly stole during their crime spree.
Smith, Hollis and Bender have all been charged with motor vehicle theft, larceny of personal property from a vehicle, burglary, illegal use of a credit card and larceny of a firearm.
Smith and Hollis were charged in Oakland County 6th Circuit Court and given a bond of over $1 million, while Bender was charged in 48th District Court and is being held on a $300,000 bond.
All three are also being charged with conducting a criminal enterprise by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.
Officials said the Troy Special Investigations Unit, comprised of officers from Troy and four other neighboring communities, worked together on the case. Officers from Canton, Livonia, Sterling Heights and the Michigan State Police also assisted in the investigation.
“Area police agencies continue to see a large influx of car break-ins, where a majority of cars are left unlocked. The Troy Police Department is reminding residents to lock your car, remove all valuables; including the key fob, and NEVER leave a firearm in your vehicle,” officials said in a press release.
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