Police arrested the men in Flatlands, Brooklyn. They found them after seeing the Web posting on Craigslist. They thought it looked suspicious because they had seen similar postings before.
Police say the suspects passed themselves off as salesmen with discounts on iPhones. In reality, their plan was just to lure unsuspecting buyers to desolate locations in Flatbush and Flatlands with the purpose of robbing them.
Officials say the men placed an ad on the Craigslist offering a bulk sale of iPhones at a certain price. The men would then wait for a buyer to take their bait and contact them. Then they'd set up a meeting, and when the buyer arrived, they would rob them of cash and any possessions.
They reportedly stuck with this same ploy for three months. Police say it all came to an end on Wednesday when undercover investigators beat them at their own game.
Police say there have been 12 of these types of robberies. They believe the four men are responsible for at least four of them.
The suspects - 19-year-old Orival Michael, 20-year-old Elorge Zamy, 18-year-old Ulyses Campbell and 19-year-old Christopher Tharvil, all of Brooklyn - were charged with robbery, weapons possession and conspiracy to commit robbery.
