Teen robbed at gunpoint while selling iPhone, three men face charges - WRAL News

MORRISVILLE, N.C. — An online conscionable up connected Wednesday greeting successful the Kitts Creek vicinity led to a 16-year-old lad getting robbed astatine gunpoint, according to police.

Investigators said the lad tried selling an iPhone to 3 men helium met connected Facebook Marketplace.

Authorities are holding Michael Purcell, 18; Jaylin Beal, 21; and Emannuel Purcell, 26, astatine the Wake County Detention Center. The 3 men are charged with equipped robbery, conspiracy to perpetrate equipped robbery, possession of a stolen firearm, battle by pointing a gun, possession of a counterfeit instrument, obtaining spot by mendacious pretense, possession of a firearm by felon and possession of marijuana.

The teen tried selling an iPhone to the 3 men done the Facebook Marketplace feature.

“[It’s] conscionable a truly scary concern for anybody, overmuch little a teenager,” said Morrisville Police Chief Pete Acosta.

Acosta said the 3 men tried buying the iPhone utilizing counterfeit money.

“When they were confronted astir that they pulled retired guns and we ended up robbing the unfortunate [using] force,” Acosta said.

Police accidental they caught 3 men done an undercover investigation. They were caught trying to merchantability the iPhone online. Police besides seized different stolen cellphone, a MacBook machine and 2 guns from the aforesaid suspects.

Acosta said interactions with strangers should ne'er hap successful a backstage location. Acosta suggested utilizing a marketplace oregon camera-monitored spot wherever deals tin beryllium done safely.

There are respective options for online users and shoppers to discover, bargain and merchantability products: It includes Facebook Marketplace, Craiglist and Offerup among others.

As the genitor of a 13-year-old and and 18-year-old, Morrisville nonmigratory Clayton Sinegal said helium was disturbed to perceive what happened earlier this week.

“For a kid to beryllium selling iPhone oregon thing underage, you should person had your parents oregon an older adult, member oregon sister with you, truthful thing similar that won’t happen,” Sinegal said.

Acosta echoed Sinegal’s sentiments.

“Don't bash these types of transactions by yourself,” Acosta said. “Always person idiosyncratic travel with you.”

Sinegal said he’s utilized online sites to marque purchases.

“Sometimes, you look astatine it, you find absorbing things,” Clayton Sinegal said.

From TVs to tires, Sinegal said helium has lucked retired snagging large deals online, and met with the seller successful person.

“I asked [a] constabulary serviceman that was there, ‘could helium ticker from afar arsenic one bought immoderate tires?’” sinegal said.

Sinegal met successful nationalist alternatively of his Morrisville home.

“It's conscionable not a batch of bully signifier to usage your location arsenic a gathering place,” Acosta said.

In September 2020, a Raleigh man’s assemblage was recovered successful Virginia aft gathering a imaginable purchaser helium met done Craigslist to merchantability his 2011 Range Rover Sport adjacent to Cameron Village.

In summation to gathering successful a nationalist place, Acosta provided the respective tips to debar being scammed oregon robbed. He said the constabulary section offers places designed for harmless exchanges.