DETROIT – A retired Detroit Police Sergeant is facing 15 charges in five separate sexual assault cases over a span of four years.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges in a press conference on March 19.
Former Detroit Police Sergeant Benjamin Wagner, 68, is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting five girls and women ranging in age from 15 to 23 from 1999 to 2003 on the city’s west side.
Worthy said Wagner has “led a double life as a law enforcement officer and a serial rapist.”
Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1998 and retired from the force in 2017, then moved to Greenville, North Carolina.
He was arrested in North Carolina on March 17, 2026. He is expected to be arraigned in the 36th District Court on March 26.
Five sexual assault cases
Worthy broke down the five cases, detailing the circumstances of each and the charges Wagner faces.
Nov. 10, 1999
A then 17-year-old girl took the bus from work to a bus stop near a friend’s house on Nov. 10, 1999, near the intersection of Chelfone and Mark Twain streets on Detroit’s west side. It’s alleged that Wagner approached her, threatened her at gunpoint, took her to a different location and sexually assaulted her.
Wagner was charged with one count of kidnapping and three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Jan. 31, 2000
A then 23-year-old woman left her home in the 18400 block of Wyoming Street on Jan. 31, 2000, to walk to the store. Wagner is accused of pointing a gun at the woman’s head, ordering her to go to a different location, before sexually assaulting her.
Wagner was charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Sept. 28, 2000
A then 15-year-old girl was walking to her school bus stop on Sept. 28, 2000, in the 19800 block of Florence Street. Wagner is accused of grabbing the girl, pointing a gun at her and moving her away from the area to sexually assault her.
Wagner was charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Nov. 19, 2000
A then 20-year-old woman was walking to her friend’s house in the 8500 block of W McNichols Road. It’s alleged that Wagner walked past her, then attacked her from behind, pulled out a gun and moved her to a different location to sexually assault her.
Wagner was charged with one count of kidnapping and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
April 15, 2003
A then 16-year-old was walking to a bus stop to catch the bus to school on April 15, 2003, in the 19000 block of Ferguson Street. Wagner is accused of approaching the teen after he came out of an alley, moving her to a different location, pulling out a handgun and sexually assaulting her.
Wagner was charged with one count of kidnapping and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
No weapons charges
Worthy said Wagner was not charged with any weapons offenses due to the Statute of Limitations. There is a six-year statute of limitations for felony firearm offenses in Michigan.
There could be more victims
Anyone who believes they were sexually assaulted by Wagner, Worthy said to contact the Detroit Police Department Sex Crimes Unit at 313-596-1950 and request to speak with Sergeant Jennifer Carlson.
Detroit Police Chief’s response
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison was at Worthy’s press conference on March 19 and provided a statement.
“The evidence found in this case concerning former DPD Sergeant, Benjamin Wagner, is egregious and disturbing,” said Bettison. “It represents a deep betrayal to the oath us officers take as a symbol of public faith, as it violates the trust placed in law enforcement. Mr. Wagner’s actions do not represent the integrity, values or mission held by the officers of the Detroit Police Department.”
You can watch the full press conference below: