Geauga Detectives Catch Marketplace Thief
Sheriff Warns Residents About Internet Meet-Ups
When a female from Trumbull County recently agreed to meet a man selling a vehicle on Facebook Marketplace in a rural area of Geauga County, she didn’t expect him to leave her in the dust, taking both her money and the vehicle with him.
When a woman from Trumbull County recently agreed to meet a man selling a vehicle on Facebook Marketplace in a rural area of Geauga County, she didn’t expect him to leave her in the dust, taking both her money and the vehicle with him.
But she wasn’t the only victim of his.
Jordan Barnes, 18, of Mentor, has allegedly targeted others with a similar scheme, according to Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand, who praised his detectives with catching Barnes this week after receiving a theft complaint from the above victim on June 9.
“In the rural location, the suspect met with the victim and provided them a false vehicle title before speeding off in the vehicle with the cash,” officials said in a press release. “During the course of the investigation, the suspect was identified as (Barnes).”
Hildenbrand said detectives located the same vehicle on Marketplace and arranged to meet Barnes in Chardon to purchase the vehicle.
“The car was listed again the next day on Facebook and we set up a buy with the detectives and he was coming right out with it,” he said.
When Barnes arrived at the meeting location, he was greeted by detectives, at which point he reportedly attempted to flee and avoid arrest.
Barnes allegedly struck a detective’s vehicle while trying to flee and was taken into custody without further incident, the sheriff said.
“When he showed up, there was only one car,” said Hildenbrand. “If you’re going to sell the car you are driving, you need somebody to come pick you up.”
According to the release, detectives located $6,590 in cash, three fraudulent vehicle titles and numerous cellular phones.
“This is just another great example of detectives working in close conjunction with the citizens of Geauga County to effectively combat crime,” Hildenbrand said, adding the detectives did a great job and Barnes “wasn’t really smart.”
Barnes was formally charged with theft and possession of criminal tools, both fifth-degree felonies, and arraigned in Chardon Municipal Court on June 10. He was released to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, where he was wanted for aggravated robbery, felonious assault and weapons offenses, the sheriff said.
“He was released on a personal recognizance bond, but he had several warrants out of Cuyahoga County and he went to Cuyahoga County jail,” said Hildenbrand. “We will indict him and he will have his day in court.”
Hildenbrand took the opportunity to remind residents in Geauga County of the importance of meeting in a safe meeting location for internet transactions.
“This investigation is just a single example of what could go wrong with meeting strangers in public places,” he said, adding people can come to any police station, including the sheriff’s office lobby or parking lot, if they are going to purchase something online and meet somebody.
“We wanted to make sure that people were safe and that transactions are going to be legit,” he said.
There is a designated space in front of the sheriff’s office with a sign saying it’s a safe place to make internet transactions “and it’s all on camera,” said Hildenbrand.
“Other police departments do the same thing and there are places available all over the county, but obviously, the sheriff’s office is in the central part,” he added.
