At least five men who contacted a woman on an online dating site were surprised with two Gainesville residents who robbed them.
Tavares Wilson, 31, and Leila Johnson, 24, were charged Thursday in connection to the series of robberies after an investigation by Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service.
Since January 2019, Wilson used an online dating website to lure at least five men to an apartment complex in southwest Gainesville, under the guise of sex with a woman in exchange for money. He then robbed them at knifepoint or gunpoint, according to the report.
A GPD undercover detective contacted Wilson via the website and was provided a location of 3514 SW 30th Terrace. The detective led law enforcement to the location, where they were met by Wilson and Johnson, his girlfriend, in a black Hyundai with a pink steering wheel cover, a vehicle previously described in one of the five robbery reports and registered to Johnson.
U.S. marshals approached Wilson, who had a warrant regarding an unrelated case, before he attempted to flee the scene, according to the report. In his rush, he left the car door open, which exposed a black semi-automatic handgun. Law enforcement officers also found powder cocaine, crystal meth and crack cocaine on him when they made the arrest.
The account used to lure the men was registered to an email address that matched Wilson’s Facebook account, according to the police report. A photo posted to Wilson’s Facebook account showed him standing next to a black Hyundai with a pink steering wheel cover.
Wilson was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, both felonies. Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, also a felony. Both Wilson and Johnson remain in jail in lieu of $157,000 and $35,000 bonds respectively.
While five robberies have been reported, GPD suspects there are more that have not been reported due to the nature of the dating website.
Orlando Police Department established e-commerce exchange zones for people making online purchases or meetings in 2017 to prevent online robberies. The zones, located at the department headquarters, are monitored by video 24 hours a day. According to Sgt. Lisa Scott, GPD spokesperson, there are no plans to provide an e-commerce exchange zone in Gainesville.
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