Charges filed against man who posed as a woman on a dating app to rob men

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (First Alert 4) – A man accused of using a fake dating app profile to rob two men was charged Friday in St. Louis County.

The St. Louis County District Attorney's Office on Friday charged 26-year-old Ernest Johnson with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of vehicle theft. Johnson is being held in the St. Louis County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond.

According to police, on June 21, a man organized a meeting with what he thought was a woman on a dating app. When he arrived at where the two had agreed to meet, three men robbed him at gunpoint and took his phone and other belongings. Police said the victim's phone pinged where Johnson lives.

A week later, on June 27, another victim scheduled a meeting with a woman from the same dating app Johnson had previously used. This second victim began sending text messages from a number associated with Johnson. The second victim and this person from the dating app had planned to meet.

When the second victim arrived, two men ordered him to get out of his car at gunpoint. As the second victim tried to drive away, he was shot by one of the gunmen.

Police said they have linked the IP address used to communicate with both victims.

A court date for Johnson has not been scheduled until Saturday afternoon.

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