Four Men Charged With Using Grindr to Attack Gay Men

Four men from a Dallas suburb have been indicted on federal hate-crimes charges, alleging that they used Grindr to gain access to the homes of gay men, then assaulted and robbed them.

A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted Nigel Garrett, 21; Chancler Encalade, 20; Anthony Shelton, 19; and Cameron Ajiduah, 18, on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, carjacking, firearms possession, and hate crimes, The Dallas Morning News reports. All four live in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, and the home invasions took place in Frisco and two other suburbs, Plano and Aubrey, in January and February of this year, the paper reports.

According to the indictment, they posed as gay men on Grindr and arranged meetings at their victims' homes. Once there, the defendants, who were armed, restrained their victims, made antigay remarks, and stole valuable items, including vehicles, the indictment notes.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.