Edmonton Police Service has arrested three men for a series of robberies in 2022 that targeted those buying and selling electronics online.
Between August 21 and September 1, 2022, EPS received five separate reports of robberies in northwest Edmonton. Each instance involved a citizen meeting to sell or buy a mobile phone or tablet. When the citizen arrived, they were robbed of their device and cash, sometimes under the threat of a weapon.
Police noticed that violence began to escalate with each robbery. On September 1, EPS issued a public warning of the robberies, which had resulted in minor injuries.
Investigators determined that all five of these robberies were linked, and had also uncovered six more robberies in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. One of these additional robberies resulted in non-life-threatening injuries.
In total, around $16,000 in property was reported stolen.
In September and October of 2023, a year after the robberies, EPS claimed to have arrested three suspects allegedly responsible for the robberies.
Decontie Chea, Everisto Yousif, and an unnamed 19-year-old are facing a total of 11 charges between the three of them. The 19-year-old has not been named as they were a minor at the time of the robberies. This unnamed suspect is also being charged with two counts of using an imitation firearm.
Police continue to remind citizens buying and selling items online to take precautions, such as meeting in a public location, having a second come with you, and taking screenshots of the buyer’s/seller’s contact information.
EPS also asks that if you find yourself robbed of your belongings contact police as soon as possible.
