Birmingham, MI – Two men have been arrested and charged following a months-long investigation into a string of auto thefts across Birmingham and surrounding communities, according to the Birmingham Police Department.
Police say that between October 2025 and January 2026, multiple agencies received numerous reports of auto thefts and larcenies from vehicles. Detectives with the Troy Special Investigations Unit determined the spike in crimes was linked to an organized group allegedly targeting vehicles for financial gain.
Investigators, including a Birmingham detective assigned to the SIU, identified two suspects: Charles T. Puckett IV and Deniko Van Brooks. Both were arrested on January 14, 2026, during the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Detroit.
Authorities say both men were charged in connection with an auto theft that occurred in Birmingham in December 2025.
Further investigative work led the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office to authorize additional charges for conducting a criminal enterprise. Puckett and Brooks were arraigned February 18, 2026, in 52-4 District Court. Each was issued a $500,000 cash/surety bond and ordered to wear a tether if released.
The Birmingham Police Department credited multiple partner agencies for their assistance in the investigation, including the Detroit Police Department Commercial Auto Theft Unit, Troy Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Oakland County Auto Theft, and Grosse Pointe City DPS.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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