CHICAGO — A lengthy investigation by Chicago police detectives resulted in the arrest this week of a man believed to be responsible for eleven armed robberies, all targeting victims who were lured into traps via Facebook Marketplace ads.
Marketplace meetups, where two parties who don’t know each other consummate the sale of online merchandise, can be risky. CPD invites people to complete online exchanges at their district police station to decrease the risk. But, as CWB reported last month, at least one recent police station rendezvous ended with robbery, too.
In the latest development, prosecutors charged 19-year-old Emerson Watson, Jr., with robbing nearly a dozen people at gunpoint in six separate Marketplace meetings between September and December 2024. One victim was robbed of $8,000 in cash that he brought to buy an item offered for sale on Facebook. Others lost $2,800. One lost $1,500. Prosecutors said digital data, vehicle information, and other evidence point to Watson’s involvement…