Stephen Anthony Ryan, 19, of Halifax was arrested March 8 and charged with two counts of robbery and one count of mischief.
He is charged in connection with the robbery of two gay men who were targeted on the dating site Plenty of Fish. Ryan’s arrest brings the total number of men charged to four.
In January, Steven Robert Clarke, 21, was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property, fraud and breaching probation. A 17-year-old who cannot be named because he is under 18, was arrested around the same time. Last month, Colin David Brown, 21, from Halifax, was arrested and charged with one count of robbery and one count of breaching probation.
Halifax police spokesperson Brian Palmeter says Ryan, Clarke and Brown are known to police and to each other.
The first robbery occurred on Jan 2 at Point Pleasant Park. According to a police statement, a 35-year-old man picked up a man on Tower Rd whom he had met online. Moments later, two additional men approached the vehicle, threatened the victim and demanded his money.
The second robbery occurred Jan 6 in the Wellington St and Lundy Lane area. A 29-year-old man picked up a man on Spring Garden Rd whom he had met online and drove to the south end of Halifax. Moments later, additional men approached the vehicle, claimed they had a knife and stole the victim’s wallet before fleeing on foot.
Both victims handed over their money and were not physically injured.
Ryan is scheduled for court appearances March 23 and April 5. Since his arrest, two more charges have been added, including uttering death threats. Clarke has three upcoming court dates on April 1, April 4 and April 12.
Xtra was unable to reach Crown spokesperson Chris Hansen for comment.
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