An eastern North Carolina police department helped the FBI arrest a man wanted in connection with several sexual assault cases in the Midwest dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Officials with the Greenville Police Department said 68-year-old Benjamin Wagner was taken into custody Tuesday at his place of employment at the Pitt-Greenville Airport, without incident.
In Michigan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the suspect was living a double-life for years .
“The deplorable fact in this case is that the person that we are charging today has led a double life as a law enforcement officer and a serial rapist, ex Detroit Police Sergeant Benjamin Wagner,” she said, “In these cases, we are alleging that Wagner sexually assaulted his young victims and the commonalities were they were walking to school, or home from work, or simply going to a friend's house.”
Worthy said Wagner is accused of several brutal crimes targeting young women.
“The alleged facts in this case are disturbing, unsettling, and infuriating,” she said. “Today, we are announcing charges in five cases where five young women and girls, ranging from the ages of 15 to 23, were allegedly sexually assaulted and kidnapped, and this was done by gunpoint.”
Local authorities emphasize that their role was limited to locating Wagner and taking him into custody without incident.
Greenville Police say there is currently no evidence linking Wagner to any local crimes, noting his DNA has not matched any cases in their system. He is now awaiting transport back to Michigan to face charges there.
