2 Charged With Defrauding Individuals In Letgo Scam: Police

MASTIC, NY — Two men have been arrested and charged with participating in a scam to defraud people of money through the letgo app last year, police said.

According to Suffolk County Police, on Nov. 30, outside a residence on Mayfield Drive in Mastic Beach, Ronnie Langhorn, 19, of Mastic arranged to sell a cell phone to someone just before midnight. Langhorn showed the victim a cell phone and accepted cash before telling the victim he had to get a SIM card; he fled to the rear of the property and never returned with the phone, police said.

In a separate incident on Dec. 8, Langhorn and three men arranged for the purchase of a cell phone on Mastic Road, also through the letgo app, and stole money from a person before fleeing on foot, police said.

In a third incident at the Mastic-Shirley Long Island Rail Road station on Dec. 31, an individual gave Langhorn money and Langhorn pushed the man to the ground, police said. When the person attempted to follow him, a second man, Mitchell Washington, 21, of Bay Shore, threatened to shoot him, police said.

Langhorn was arrested and charged with second degree robbery, fourth degree grand larceny, and petty larceny, police said. Washington was charged with second degree robbery, police said.

Langhorn was arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Central Islip; Washington will be held overnight at the 7th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip, police said.

Five individuals looking to buy or sell phones on the letgo app were defrauded by three men recently, police said in an earlier report.

According to Suffolk County Police, the incidents took place from Aug. 16 through Dec. 31 in Mastic and Mastic Beach.

Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives have been investigating the incidents, during which up to three men stole money from people who were attempting to buy or sell a phone on the letgo app, police said.

During another incident, two individuals were waiting in a vehicle outside the same Mayfield Drive address on Nov. 9 at 8:10 p.m., when two men arrived and approached the car, police said.
The men showed the individuals a phone, then displayed a knife and stole money, police said.

The residents of the Mayfield Drive address were not involved in the crimes, police said.

Anyone with information on the cases is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

A letgo spokesman responded to a request for comment: "Our team is working with local law enforcement to help with their investigation. We have no tolerance for something like this. We always encourage users to meet in a busy, public place like a coffee shop, mall, grocery store or bank lobby. If anything raises a red flag, like someone making odd requests or refusing to meet in public, we advise users to trust their instincts, report that person to us, if needed, and find another buyer or seller. Our team is also available to answer questions."

The spokesperson added: "We've included user profiles, ratings and reviews, and other features so users can see who they're talking to and what others have said about them. We use a mix of human and artificial intelligence to help moderate our marketplace and we ask our user community to help by flagging anything that raises concerns."

Patch photo by SCPD.