Retired Detroit police sergeant Benjamin Wagner, 68, is facing a slew of charges for allegedly leading a “double life” as a serial rapist and kidnapper. He is accused of abducting and sexually assaulting multiple women and girls at gunpoint on Detroit’s west side between 1999 and 2003, while serving on the police force.Key Details & Case BackgroundThe Charges: Wagner faces multiple felony counts, including kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges span six separate cases linked to victims between the ages of 14 and 23.The Timeline: The alleged attacks occurred between 1999 and 2003, more than a decade before Wagner’s retirement.Police Tenure: Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1989, spent nearly three decades on the force, and retired in 2017.The Investigation: The cases were advanced due to the testing of backlog sexual assault kits discovered in a Detroit police warehouse in 2009.Arrest and Legal StatusArrest: Wagner was arrested on March 17, 2026, in Greenville, North Carolina, where he had relocated following his retirement. He was extradited to Michigan and is held in the Wayne County Jail without bond.Court Proceedings: Following testimony from alleged victims, a judge bound Wagner over to the circuit court to stand trial.Defense: In court, Wagner’s defense has argued that the prosecution’s evidence relies heavily on DNA and has pointed to historical inconsistencies between the victims’ current accounts and their initial reports.
Retired Detroit police sergeant Benjamin Wagner
