Grinder Burglar: Man Arrested for Reportedly Stealing from 20 Gay Men He Met on Dating App
- A US citizen robbed more than 20 dates he met on a gay dating app and allegedly stabbed one victim in the chest during one robbery, according to federal prosecutors
- Derrick Patterson, 22, was taken into custody on Monday, April 4, by the FBI with his most current robbery said to be on March 26 at a Beverly Hills hotel
- He targeted his victims from November 2019 to March 2022 by using the Grinder app, which is a gay dating app
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J.S. met Derrick Patterson in March on Grinder, the gay dating site, and invited him to his room.
Source: Instagram
According to the FBI, shortly into their meeting, Patterson asked if he could watch videos of intimacy on J.S.'s mobile phone.
As reported by the New York Times, J.S. gave him the phone, but he soon suspected Patterson was locking himself out of the device on purpose.
He wanted to watch J.S. type in the four-digit passcode, the same passcode J.S. used for online banking.
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Romantic date turned sour
Patterson threatened to shoot J.S. and stole his phone and wallet, FBI agent George Maloney alleged in court papers.
Within hours, Patterson started draining J.S.'s accounts, making KSh 70,000 in ATM withdrawals alone.
It was the 21st time in just over two years that Patterson, 22, had robbed men who saw his profile on Grindr and invited him into their homes or hotel rooms.
Patterson set to face charges
FBI agents arrested Patterson in Inglewood on Monday on a federal robbery charge.
Patterson threatened some of the men with a gun, knife or Taser, according to court documents. Victims told police they feared he would kill them
‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon Leviev hires A-List talent manager
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that the world-famous Tinder Swindler has decided to put his newly found popularity to use. The Netflix documentary star is said to be working with a Hollywood talent agent who will help him make it in the big time.
Simon Leviev is reportedly making plans to extend his 15 minutes of fame. The infamous Tindler Swindler has allegedly signed a deal with a Hollywood producer who plans to help Simon make it in the big time.
TMZ reports that Simon has expressed confidence in himself becoming a big-time Hollywood star. The man who became famous through scamming women on dating sites is planning on producing a reality dating show.
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Nothando Mthembu (Senior editor) Nothando Mthembu is a senior multimedia journalist and editor. Nothando has over 5 years of work experience and has served several media houses including Caxton Local Newspapers. She has experience writing on human interest, environment, crime and social issues for community newspapers. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree and an Honours Degree in Media Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, obtained in 2016 and 2017. Nothando has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. Email: nothando.mthembu@briefly.co.za
