WASHINGTON — A D.C. man is facing charges after police say he repeatedly robbed people he arranged to meet with on Facebook Marketplace.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, 19-year-old Elijah Porter, of Northeast, D.C., has been charged with four counts of Robbery and one count of Threat to Kidnap or Injure a Person.
Police report that Porter arranged to meet with sellers on Facebook Marketplace to purchase items from them. When the seller would arrive, Porter would reportedly take out a handgun and rob the victim instead before running away.
There are at least four robberies that Porter has been connected to, including:
- On Saturday, December 2, 2023, at approximately 10:55 p.m., in the 1300 block of Orren Street, Northeast. CCN: 23196630
- On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at approximately 1:27 p.m., in the 1300 block of Orren Street, Northeast. CCN: 23191191
- On Tuesday, November 26, 2023, at approximately 1:20 p.m., in the 1300 block of Orren Street, Northeast. CCN: 23193040
- On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at approximately 11:12 a.m., in the 1300 block of Oates Street, Northeast. CCN: 23183568
MPD is encouraging all residents who are meeting to sell an item to someone from online market platforms, to use one of the designated Safe Exchange Zones. These designated areas serve as safe places for people to exchange goods or money to prevent pre-staged robberies. MPD also strongly encourages the public to be especially wary of meeting people who refuse to meet at a Safe Exchange Zone location.