Bloomfield Twp Police arrest three for 25 car thefts in Metro Detroit, find stolen guns during raids

BLOOMFIELD TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Bloomfield Township Police announced on Tuesday they made a major arrest of three men wanted for hundreds of thefts including 25 stolen cars from the Metro Detroit area since October 2022.

Raphael Smith, 29, Demerius, Hollis, 30, and Samuel Bender, Jr, 32, were all charged this week with car theft, larceny, illegal use of a credit card, and stealing a gun.

According to Bloomfield Township Police, they have spent months investigating who was responsible for hundreds of thefts all over the Metro Detroit area and first identified Bender as a possible suspect. Surveillance video then led them to Smtih and Hollis in several stolen cars.

As detectives worked, they said they found all three were working in the ongoing crime spree.

On Dec. 29, 2022, multiple search warrants were served in Detroit where Smith and Hollis were arrested. Bender was arrested by Bloomfield Twp Police in January.

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While serving the search warrants, detectives found a large amount of stole property and recovered a total of 7 stolen guns.

Demerius Hollis (left), Raphael Smith (center), and Samuel Bender were arrested on at least 25 car thefts and other larcenies by Bloomfield Township Police.

Smith and Hollis are both being held in Oakland County on a $1 million bond while Bender was given a $300,000 bond. 

According to police, several cars were stolen from driveways in Bloomfield Township and majority of them had key fobs left inside of them but police said they were not targeting a specific make or model.

Along with the charges in Oakland County, they're also being charged with Conducting a Criminal Enterprise charge in Macomb County.

Bloomfield Twp said the complex case couldn't have been done without support and effort from the Troy Special Investigations Unit, which includes officers from the following departments: Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp, Royal Oak, and Troy. They also were supported by Canton, Livonia, Sterling Heights, and the Michigan State Police.

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