Police have arrested 69-year-old William Minore of Benzonia, a village located in Benzie County which neighbors Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. According to police records, Minore was arrested for stealing a car but was later discovered to be in possession of stun guns.
Court records show that Minore was arrested at a home in Interlochen, Michigan. Apparently, the arrest was the result of cooperation between several law enforcement agencies in the area. Although it may seem a disproportionate response for someone who is only suspected of vehicle theft, police say that Minore is a suspect in several bank robberies as well.
The vehicle Minore is said to have stolen is a silver Kia Soul. It was reported missing in Glen Arbor on September 7th, and interestingly, was returned on the same day. The reason that police suspect the use of the stolen vehicle in a robbery, is because on that same day, a masked man robbed a bank in Empire, MI at gunpoint.
Police say that they used facial recognition software to narrow down their suspect pool. Surveillance footage taken by Glen Arbor businesses show images of a man who looks very much like Minore, walking nearby the Kia Soul before it was stolen. The footage also shows him sitting in the car. Some time later, the vehicle was reported stolen.
According to Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, investigators “don’t know if they’re unrelated or related. We have reason to believe they may be related so we’re trying to follow up on those tips. We’re trying to follow up on that evidence that we’re gathering while not losing any of the evidence and not discarding any of the evidence.”
After his arrest, police investigators searched a van associated with Minore. It was located at the house where he was arrested. Inside, officers found two illegal stun guns, also known as Tasers. As a result, Minore has been charged with a single count of Unlawful Driving Away of an Automobile, which is a five year felony in Michigan. In addition, he has been charged with two counts of Illegal Possession of a Stun Gun, which is a four year felony.
Minore appeared via video conference, in the Eighty-sixth District Court recently. He was silent while District Judge Larry Nelson read the charges against him. Bond was set at $ 1 million. Milore is being held in the Leelanau County Jail.
Thus far, the investigation includes both the Benzie and Leelanau County Sheriff’s offices along with the Michigan State Police and the FBI. The investigation is still ongoing and further details may yet come to light. In addition, if investigators find evidence supporting their theories about Minore’s connection to the bank robberies, he will be facing serious additional charges perhaps in Federal Court.