Miami-Dade man used Grindr dating app to abduct and stick up potential suitors, feds say
A Miami-Dade County man used popular dating app Grindr to lure men and rob them at gunpoint, authorities said. Now, he’s facing federal charges.
Stevenson Charles is facing three counts of carjacking, five counts brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, five counts of kidnapping and four counts of bank robbery. He was arrested in Georgia in late November and extradited to Miami-Dade.
On Dec. 21, a federal grand jury indicted Charles on the 17 charges for robberies and abductions that federal authorities say he had committed back in October and November using Grindr.
An FBI special agent said Charles met his first victim Oct. 23 after messaging on Grindr, federal documents read. They met at a Westview home and continued to the bedroom when the man noticed Charles was wearing an ankle monitor.
Authorities later learned Charles was on probation and being monitored by the Miami-Dade County Corrections Boot Camp program.
Charles pulled out a gun shortly thereafter and demanded the man’s phone. The man pleaded with Charles to drive him to the bank and he will give him money in exchange for being let go, the agent said.
Driving the victim’s car, Charles took the man to Wells Fargo to pull out $380, then to a Bank of America to withdraw $760. Both chunks of cash were taken by Charles, the agent said. He then forced the man out of his own car at a highway exit.
On Nov. 2, Charles messaged another man on Grindr and agreed to meet at a Little River apartment building. The man drove his 2022 Toyota to the spot and Charles got in the backseat, pointing a gun at the man.
But Charles noticed police cars nearby and told the man to drive off, the agent said. He then demanded the man drive to his apartment.
Upon arrival, Charles told him to lay down in the backseat-trunk area of the car — where he proceeded to hit the man several times with the gun. He subsequently told the victim to unlock his phone and log into his bank account.
Unable to get into his account, Charles got into the driver seat and drove to a Bank of America where he had the man try to withdraw money but he was unsuccessful.
Noticing the man had an Apple Credit Card, he drove them to two Walgreens where Charles bought a pair of $500 gift cards, a Mountain Dew and an Aquafina water, the agent wrote.
While Charles went into the third store, the man was left in the car and promptly drove away to safety.
Using surveillance video, fingerprints and card transactions, the FBI were able build a case to ultimately lock Charles up.
This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 12:16 AM.
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