Caesar Cooper, 25, from Detroit, has been sentenced to five to 20 years in prison for his role in a prolific Metro Detroit auto theft ring, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.
Cooper was sentenced Tuesday (Aug. 11) in Oakland County’s 6th Circuit Court after pleading guilty in June to one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.
Prosecutors said Cooper was responsible for numerous vehicle thefts across Metro Detroit between 2023 and 2025.
Vehicles targeted in the thefts included a 2023 Lincoln Navigator, Maserati Levante, 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2023 Cadillac Escalade and 2023 Dodge Durango.
Cooper was originally charged in November 2025 with conducting a criminal enterprise and two counts of receiving and concealing stolen property, motor vehicle.
The investigation into the theft ring began with the Troy Police Department in August 2023.
Investigators partnered with the Michigan Attorney General’s FORCE Team in early 2024 as they worked to dismantle what authorities described as an expansive criminal organization.
The Attorney General’s Office announced the investigation in May 2024.
According to investigators, the group targeted vehicles at new-car storage lots near manufacturing facilities, car dealerships, parking lots, and individual residences.
The investigation involved numerous law enforcement agencies across Michigan, including police departments in Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Canton, Dearborn, Detroit, Eastpointe, Farmington Hills, Lansing, Livonia, Novi, Roseville, Royal Oak, Southfield, Sterling Heights, Walled Lake and Warren.
The Oakland County Auto Theft Group and Macomb County Auto Theft Unit also assisted with the investigation.
With Cooper’s sentencing, 15 defendants have now been sentenced for their roles in the criminal network since 2024.