Expecting to get a steal of a deal, local Craigslist consumers get robbed.
It's a warning for those who buy and sell online.
The crime began in the living rooms of the victims, and it ended in the streets of Flint with eight victims.
On July 1st an ad appears on Craigslist selling an iPhone for$ 300 or two for $500. They normally go for $400 a piece.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell says the Craigslist criminals told the buyers to meet them in public, in plain view, at the Church Without Walls Ministries parking lot on Dupont Street in Flint. The sheriff says the criminals told the buyers they worked there. However, the buyers quickly found out they did not.
The sheriff says, the "sellers" are 18-year-old Darius Brown, 17-year-old Bobby Kyles, and 15-year-old Jacobi Morris. Prosecutors charged all three as adults.
The day after the ad went up, authorities say a Flushing man meets with what he thinks are legitimate sellers. They allegedly robbed him of $270 and stole his car.
Two hours later, the trio rob a Macomb County couple of $500.
A few days later, two men from Lansing are robbed at gunpoint.
Then, law enforcement sets up an under-cover meeting with the trio. Investigators say, the criminals pulled guns on them before being arrested.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell says, "Everybody's looking for a deal, and the point is that you have to be selective."
Law enforcement says, you take a risk by buying or selling anything on Craigslist and recommends doing business with trusted retailers.
Last fall, the Genesee County Sheriff's Department busted a Craigslist prostitution ring.
The sheriff is looking for ways of forcing Craigslist to take responsibility.
