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Complaint: Milwaukee seller was forced to withdraw $1,000 after Facebook car sale
A 24-year-old Milwaukee man faces six felony counts tied to three alleged vehicle-sale encounters arranged through Facebook Marketplace. Prosecutors say the incidents included a kidnapping and armed robberies in June and September.
A 24-year-old Milwaukee man is charged with six felonies after prosecutors allege he used online vehicle listings to target sellers in three incidents over the summer.
Amari J. Carter faces charges of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, armed burglary, false imprisonment and carjacking in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. The criminal complaint was filed Saturday, Sept. 26, according to the case information reported Sept. 28.
The first incident began June 17, when a woman sold a 2011 Kia Sorento for $1,000 to a buyer using the Facebook Marketplace profile name “Da Real Car Plug,” the complaint says. They met near North 76th Street and West Capitol Drive and exchanged the car, keys and title for cash.
The next morning, the buyer allegedly found the woman at her apartment, climbed through a window with a screwdriver and demanded the money back. Prosecutors say he forced her into a silver sedan and drove her to a Chase branch on West Capitol Drive, where she withdrew $1,000. He then took her phone, pointed a firearm at her and ordered her out of the vehicle before driving away, according to the complaint. The woman later identified Carter in a police lineup.
Prosecutors also link Carter to two September incidents. On Sept. 18, a man arranging to sell a 2008 Infiniti G35X met a prospective buyer using the name “Jonathan Pierce” on West Capitol Drive. During a test drive, the buyer allegedly pulled out a firearm and struggled with the seller over the title before fleeing on foot. The car was recovered later that day, and fingerprints from the title matched Carter, the complaint says.
On Sept. 20, a seller who had traveled from Roselle, Illinois, to sell a 2013 BMW 535i GT reported being punched repeatedly during a test drive near West Mill Road and North 60th Street. The buyer allegedly forced him out and drove off in the car. The victim and a witness identified Carter in a lineup, according to the complaint.
The kidnapping and armed robbery counts are Class C felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine under Wisconsin law. The other charges carry lower maximum penalties. Court records say Carter denied the carjacking allegations during a police interview after being advised of his rights. The charges are allegations, and Carter is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.