Compton man admits to meeting, robbing gay men he met on Grindr

A Compton man faces a lengthy prison sentence after admitting he targeted and robbed gay men in Los Angeles after connecting with them on the Grindr online dating app.

Derrick Patterson, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

Patterson admitted in his plea agreement to five robberies between June of 2021 and March of 2022 of people he met on Grindr, a social networking platform for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. In each instance, he would meet each man at their homes or in a hotel room under the pretense of a sexual encounter, then ask to use their cell phones.

Federal prosecutors say in one July 2021 incident, once Patterson got a hold of the cell phone, he went to the kitchen and pulled out a kitchen knife to threaten the victim. He then used the victim's Venmo account to steal $3,950, paid for two Hotels.com transactions, then sent text messages to the victim's friends and family in Nevada to request money, which Patterson planned on intercepting, according to the Department of Justice. 

In February of 2022, Patterson chased after another victim with an activated stun gun, demanding cash and jewelry, then used his phone to ask his victim's contacts for money, accessed his Apple Pay account, and opened a line of credit with Goldman Sachs in his victim's name, which he used to buy $273 Apple Air pods at a T-Mobile store. Prosecutors say Patterson also used the victim's bank card to pay for a hotel room.

Patterson also admitted he assaulted a third victim while using a homophobic slur, and threatened to shoot a fourth man during a hotel room encounter, according to the Department of Justice.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Sept. 19, when Patterson faces a statutory maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison.