Caesar Cooper, 25, of Detroit, on Aug. 11 was sentenced to 5-20 years’ incarceration after pleading guilty in June to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise for his role in a prolific auto theft ring, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Cooper was sentenced by the Honorable Cheryl A. Matthews in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County.
Originally charged in November 2025 with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise and two counts of Receiving and Concealing Stolen Property - Motor Vehicle, Cooper was responsible for numerous auto thefts across Metro Detroit from 2023 to 2025. Stolen vehicles included a 2023 Lincoln Navigator, Maserati Levante, 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2023 Cadillac Escalade, and a 2023 Dodge Durango.
Nessel first announced the investigation into the auto theft ring in May 2024. The Troy Police Department, investigating this crime ring since August 2023, partnered with the FORCE Team in early 2024 to bring down this expansive criminal organization. The criminal ring targeted new vehicle storage lots at manufacturing facilities, car dealerships, parking lots, and individual residences. The investigation has been aided by the efforts of local police agencies, including the municipal police departments of Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Canton, Dearborn, Detroit, Eastpointe, Farmington Hills, Lansing, Livonia, Novi, Roseville, Royal Oak, Southfield, Sterling Heights, Walled Lake, and Warren, as well as the Oakland County Auto Theft Group and the Macomb County Auto Theft Unit.
Since 2024, 15 defendants have been sentenced for their role in the criminal network.
“Working alongside the Troy Police Department and law enforcement across Metro Detroit, the FORCE Team has been able to hold more than a dozen individuals accountable for their roles in dangerous auto thefts,” said Nessel. “Their dedicated work over the past few years has undoubtedly made our communities safer, and we remain committed to dismantling this prolific criminal network.”
