iPhone Scam Lands Two In Jail

TROY, MI — Two men were arrested for strong armed robbery after attempting to pay for an iPhone with counterfeit bills, according to a Troy Police report. An officer saw two men running out of an E. Big Beaver Starbucks with a man and woman chasing after them, screaming that the iPhone had been stolen.

The Troy officer chased the men, who got into a 2001 Buick Park Avenue. He ordered them out of the car, and a 24-year-old Southfield man and a 26-year-old Sterling Heights man complied, reports said. The men were then handcuffed until the officer could complete his investigation.

The officer spoke with the victim, who indicated he had placed an ad on a Facebook Marketplace App, attempting to sell an iPhone for $1,200. The victim received a message from one of the suspects and they agreed to meet at Starbucks to complete the purchase.

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The two suspects arrived and the Southfield gave the victim an envelope containing twelve $100 bills and took the phone from the victim, police reports said. The victim took the phone back until he could inspect the money.

The victim marked the currency with a counterfeit pen and noted that the ink indicated the bills were not real, reports said. The suspect grabbed the phone back and took off running with the Sterling Heights suspect.

The two suspects were then arrested by the officer. While searching the Buick Park Avenue, the Troy officer located three pills bottles in the center console that contained 30 Doxazosin Mesylate pills, seven Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride pills, and 30 Zomig-ZMT pills.

The Sterling Heights man indicated he had prescriptions for the drugs, but the officers noted that there were no labels attached to the pills bottles. He was arrested and charged with Strong-Armed Robbery and Illegal Possession of Synthetic Narcotics.

The Southfield suspect was arrested and charged with Strong-Armed Robbery and Passing of a Counterfeit Object.

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