Additional Coverage:
Federal prosecutors announced on Friday that a gang known as the “fentanyl robbery gang” (F.R.G.), which operated from New Hampshire to Virginia, has been involved in drug and gun trafficking. They used dating websites to recruit people into prostitution and carried out a series of robberies that resulted in four fatal incidents.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Gerard Karam, stated that the gang members, along with their partners, would organize to visit their target’s home, planning to steal various valuables including firearms, money, phones, personal identification, and cards, alongside drugs.
The gang, involving members such as 29-year-old Amanda Marie Correa, 24-year-old Robert Andrew Barnes, 50-year-old Christine Deann DiCarlo, 23-year-old Shaqare Jaymont Blackwell, 27-year-old Shakur Serafin Brownstein, 35-year-old Dylan Wilson Small, and 42-year-old Samuel Jordan, used dating platforms like “Plenty of Fish” and “MeetMe” to lure victims by setting up dates.
According to Karam, the alleged ringleader, Correa, also known as “Tiny,” would arrange these dates, often accompanied by DiCarlo, as reported by CBS affiliate WYOU. During these encounters, victims were given drugs, which they were told were cocaine, but actually contained the potentially lethal opioid, fentanyl. If the victims refused or if the drug did not take effect quickly enough, the gang would resort to violent home invasions to rob the victims.
The series of crimes linked to F.R.G. is connected to three deaths in Pennsylvania—in both Berks and Luzerne counties—and one in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Authorities believe there may be more unidentified victims.
Seven gang members have been indicted on various charges, including kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute drugs, distributing drugs resulting in death, aggravated identity theft, and weapons charges. Several group members were reportedly associated with gangs in New York City.
The ongoing investigation has seen collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI and the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Scranton, Pennsylvania, state and local law enforcement in both Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
In response to the broader crisis of fentanyl-related incidents, the DEA reported that seizures of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl spiked by over 33% from the previous year, totaling over 79 million in 2029. Efforts to clamp down on this epidemic include targeting online sales of pill presses used by drug traffickers.