State police bust theft ring in Grand Traverse Co.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY — On July 18, troopers from the Michigan State Police Traverse City Post received a complaint of a motorcycle stolen from a home in Blair Township. Through investigative efforts, community social media posts, and a string of anonymous tips, troopers located the truck and identified two suspects in less than three hours, officials said.

Two men, a 40-year-old from Green Lake Township and a 38-year-old, were believed to be involved, troopers said. The 40-year-old man was interviewed at his residence, troopers said.

The stolen motorcycle was not found, troopers said.

The following day, troopers conducted a traffic stop in the early afternoon and developed additional investigative leads about a separate location in Green Lake Township where the second suspect was hiding, they said.

A traffic stop was conducted on US-31 near the Benzie County Line for a moving violation where the 38-year-old male suspect was a passenger in the car, troopers said. He was taken into custody for an unrelated warrant and found to be in possession of methamphetamine, they said.

The driver, a 24-year-old female, was arrested for driving without an operator’s license, possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house, troopers said.

Troopers learned about their involvement with the stolen motorcycle and where the motorcycle was hidden, they said.

Three search warrants were simultaneously executed just over 24 hours after the original incident was reported. The first search warrant was executed at a storage unit in Acme Township, which resulted in the successful recovery of the stolen motorcycle as well as the recovery of a second motorcycle stolen from Benzie County, troopers said.

In addition to the motorcycles, approximately $35,000 worth of stolen tools, a utility trailer, a go cart, and methamphetamine were all recovered while executing the other search warrants in Green Lake Township, troopers said.

Based on the scale, complexity, and information gathered during the investigation, the two male suspects were placed under arrest for possession of methamphetamine, two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, and conducting criminal enterprise, with additional charges expected to follow, troopers said.

Additional stolen items were later recovered at another residence tied to the group, they said.