A Dorchester man accused of using dating apps to lure unsuspecting men into a series of armed robberies last fall, was arraigned on Monday, reports said.
Rakeem Austin, 30, is accused of posing as a woman on dating apps and luring unsuspecting men into meeting him before robbing them at gunpoint, WBZ reported. RELATED:Dorchester man poses online as woman to stage robberies: Police According to The Boston Herald, Austin was originally charged with five robberies but a grand jury investigation tacked on four more cases with the aid of additional evidence. “The Suffolk District Attorney’s office said a GPS monitor Austin was wearing at the time placed him in the area of each of the nine armed robberies when they occurred,” WBZ reported. “Austin was wearing the GPS device while free on bail in another case, in which he faced breaking and entering charges.” RELATED:Worcester men latest victims of “catfishing”
Prosecutors say they found the stolen phone from the last robbery, as well as the phone used for the dating app accounts, on Austin at the time of his arrest, Boston Herald reported.
Austin pleaded not guilty to all nine charges of armed robbery and was held on $75,000 cash bail, the Boston Herald reported.
He will return to court on April 22.
Dorchester man charged in dating app robberies held on $75,000 bail
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