Man Pleads Guilty to Using Grindr to Rob and Assault Victims
robbing five separate victims over a span of nine months, from June 2021 to March 2022. Patterson would target potential victims by using Grindr, arranging to meet them at their homes or in hotel rooms under the pretense of sexual encounters. Once inside, Patterson would ask to use victims’ phones.During a July 2021 incident, one victim gave his phone to Patterson, who went to the victim’s kitchen, pulled out a kitchen knife, threatened the victim, and used the victim’s Venmo account to steal $3,950.