Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced Thursday that an Anchorage man has been indicted for allegedly using Craigslist, Inc.’s internet marketplace to lure sellers to a meeting location and rob them at gunpoint.
Cloyd Lacap, Jr., 21, was named in the federal indictment charging him with interference with commerce by robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Lacap is currently in federal custody, and is awaiting his first court appearance on the charges.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 24, 2019, after identifying an iPhone for sale on Craigslist, Lacap arranged to meet with the seller at the Rustic Goat Restaurant on Turnagain Street in Anchorage. Upon meeting, Lacap robbed the seller of the iPhone at gunpoint. The indictment also alleges that earlier on the same day, after identifying another item for sale on Craigslist, this time a PlayStation gaming console, Lacap arranged to meet the PlayStation’s seller at Balto Seppala Park on Wisconsin Street in Anchorage. Upon meeting, Lacap also conducted an armed robbery on the seller.
If convicted, Lacap faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery offenses, and a mandatory minimum of seven years for the firearm offense. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.