Philadelphia police are searching for a man who used Craigslist to meet at least three gay men, then later posed as a detective and extorted money from two of them.
The suspect, described as black and about 6-foot-3, met the men on Craigslist’s “Men Seeking Men” personals section, and arranged to meet them at various locations in the city.
During the encounters, he had a detective’s badge, handcuffs and a walkie-talkie, and spoke in a confident manner that convinced the men he was a plainclothes detective, they said.
“He was a smooth talker, and very convincing,” one man said.
The three victims spoke to PGN on the condition of anonymity. They said the incidents happened in April and June.
The suspect allegedly told the men they were vulnerable to criminal prosecution because they were looking for sexual partners on Craigslist without properly screening out minors.
One man, from the Fairmount section, traveled to a nearby bank with the suspect, withdrew about $1,200 from his account and gave it to him.
Another man, from the Fishtown section, gave the suspect $800 after traveling to a bank at a shopping center in Northeast Philadelphia.
The third man didn’t give the suspect any money, but he reported the incident to Central Detectives, where it remains under investigation, he said.
The Fairmount man said he preserved scissors that the suspect touched, which might help determine his identity.
He called the city’s LGBT Police Liaison Office to report the incident. But he was dissuaded from pursuing the matter after being told that a formal police report must be filed before any additional action could be taken, he said.
Officer Mitchell Spritzler of the LGBT Police Liaison Office, who spoke with the Fairmount man, told PGN it’s standard procedure to inform victims they must file a police report before an investigation can begin.
But Spritzler also said a police report can be written in a way that protects a victim’s reputation.
“The report can be general enough to give enough information without giving too many details,” Spritzler said. “But if the case goes to trial, other documents would contain details, and the person’s identity would be known.”
Police reports are available to the general public for a $25 fee, Spritzler added.
The Fishtown man called 911 after the suspect contacted him a second time at work to request additional money. The man refused to pay, but said he was disappointed with the attitude of the responding officer.
“It was like [the officer] was putting me on trial, instead of gathering information about the perpetrator,” the man said.
The police report filed by the responding officer states that the victim paid another man $3,000 to avoid having his gay sexual orientation disclosed. It doesn’t state the perpetrator was posing as a Philadelphia police detective.
Spritzler said he would see to it that a supervisor discusses the necessity of comprehensive police reports with the officer.
“Incomplete reports are a problem that needs to be addressed,” added Spritzler. “I spoke with the officer’s supervisor, and he will discuss this during a training class at roll call. All the officers need to know that comprehensive police reports are necessary.”
Spritzler stressed that police are actively pursuing the Craigslist suspect, and that follow-up calls have been made to the three victims to gather additional information.
“We’re concerned that someone is impersonating a police detective,” Spritzler said. “There’s an active investigation concerning all three complainants, and we’re coordinating our efforts. There’s someone out there preying on people, and we’ve got to get him off the street.”
Anyone with information about a Craigslist suspect can call the LGBT Police Liaison Office at (215) 685-3655.
Tim Cwiek can be reached at (215) 625-8501 ext. 208.