Michigan Authorities Make Arrest in $1.5 Million Cadillac Crime Ring

Michigan authorities are one step closer to putting an end to an ongoing criminal operation in Southeast Michigan centered around $1.5 million worth of stolen Cadillacs.

According to the Detroit Free Press, 24-year-old Deon Brooks has been arrested for his participation in the crime ring. The Macomb Auto Theft Squad began investigating the crime ring in December after several Cadillacs were stolen from a General Motors lot in Warren.

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Brooks is charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, which is a 20-year felony. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. With a $2 million bond, Brooks would be subject to a GPS tether if he is released from the Macomb County Jail, where he is currently being held.

Authorities allege that Brooks retagged the vehicles with cloned VIN numbers before selling the Cadillacs out of state for profit.

This isn't the only car theft operation happening in the Detroit metro. Four people were arrested in connection to a Southfield operation, though these suspects were caught stealing a personal vehicle in a residential area.

We are paying attention to what's going on in our neighborhoods. We have advanced our technology, and we've advanced our training. We put our task force officers out there to monitor what goes on and you may not see them, but we see you," Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said in relation to that case.

There was another string of arrests connected to a theft operation that saw more than 400 vehicles stolen in 40 cities across four Southeast Michigan counties.

Still, there's no indication that either of these cases is connected to the Cadillac thefts. Nonetheless, it seems Barren's words ring true that authorities are better equipped to put a stop to these crimes.