COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A multi-county theft investigation culminated in the arrest of a 29-year-old Detroit man after he allegedly evaded authorities and was linked to a string of regional crimes.
The Branch County Sheriff’s Office announced that Speed Miller was taken into custody on October 12, in the Orchard Lake area with the assistance of the Metro Detroit Auto Theft Recovery Team (MDART).
The extensive investigation began on August 29, 2026, following the report of a stolen trailer in Algansee Township. After the case was turned over to the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in September, detectives utilized search warrants and data from AT&T, Facebook, and Instagram to connect Miller to the crime.
Authorities also revealed that Miller was a suspect in wider livestock thefts spanning across Michigan and neighboring states, and he had previously fled from investigators attempting to question him at his Romulus residence.
Following his arrest, Miller was initially lodged at the Branch County Jail and arraigned on a charge of larceny of property valued between $1,000 and $2,000.
However, the legal trouble intensified after detectives followed up on leads suggesting he possessed a firearm at a residence on Lester Road in Algansee Township.
Investigators successfully located the weapon, prompting the Branch County Prosecutor’s Office to authorize additional felony weapons charges, complete with a habitual offender enhancement, for which Miller was arraigned on Wednesday .
Sheriff Fred Blankenship praised the community tips that he says were crucial in the investigation and the seamless multi-agency cooperation—which included the Michigan State Police, MDART, the Southwest Commercial Auto and Recovery Unit (SCAR), and the U.S. Secret Service.
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