Man arrested for allegedly catfishing, trapping people in Northern Colorado, deputies looking for other victims
A man is facing multiple charges for allegedly catfishing victims in Northern Colorado on a dating app in order to trap and threaten them.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said 911 received a hangup call from the Douglas Reservoir in Fort Collins on Aug. 31. When a deputy arrived, they saw Anthony Brown-Wright and another adult exiting Brown-Wright's white GMC Yukon. The deputy learned the victim had arranged to meet a woman at the reservoir through a dating app. They told the deputy that when they entered the Yukon and realized that they had been lied to, Brown-Wright stopped them from leaving and hung up the phone when they tried to call 911 for help.
The deputy recalled a similar case earlier in August in which a suspect matching Brown-Wright's description met a victim through the same dating app. The two agreed to meet at Simpson Ponds south of Loveland.
When the victim entered the vehicle and saw they'd been catfished, the suspect reportedly became violent and tried to stop them from leaving. The victim fought back and was able to escape, but the suspect allegedly threatened to press charges against them for fighting him. Authorities said the suspect then asked for sexual acts in exchange for not calling the police.
Both victims are transgender, and law enforcement is investigating whether they were intentionally targeted due to their gender identity. The sheriff's office said there may be other victims, and encouraged anyone with information about the suspect to contact Deputy Megan Job at (970) 577-2085. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at (970) 221-6868 or online.
"Consent is always necessary. That's true whether you're in a committed relationship or a casual meetup," said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. "We understand how someone might feel uncomfortable reporting an incident like this, and I really want to thank the two people who came forward. If you've experienced something similar, please let us know. We're not here to judge. We're here to support you and keep our community safe."
Brown-Wright was arrested and booked into the Larimer County Jail. He is facing charges of criminal extortion, third-degree assault, obstruction of phone or telegraph service, first-degree trespass with intent to commit a crime, two counts of false imprisonment and theft of less than $300.
