A Delray Beach meetup for a PlayStation 5 ended in a brutal robbery and a months-long investigation that finally produced an arrest this week, according to deputies.
Detectives say a buyer headed to the 3500 block of Gibbs Road on September 18, 2025, after responding to a Facebook Marketplace listing for a PS5. When he arrived, the supposed sale turned into an ambush. Investigators say the man was punched, dragged into a dark side yard and robbed of $1,000 in cash, an iPhone, his ID and a credit card. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says the case broke open Monday, April 27, 2026, when they arrested a suspect in connection with the attack.
Deputies report that 22-year-old Kamari Stokes of Wildwood was taken into custody and booked on a charge of robbery without a firearm after investigators traced the online sale to a Facebook profile using the name "Frank Lucas." The victim's wife, who had stayed in the car during the meetup, told deputies she saw one of the attackers hide something in his waistband as they ran off. Investigators say the victim used the "Find My iPhone" feature to track his stolen phone to a nearby boat storage lot, where deputies recovered it and processed the device for DNA, according to CBS12.
How detectives say they tracked him
According to investigators, digital forensics tied messages and account data from the "Frank Lucas" Marketplace profile to email addresses and phone numbers linked to Stokes. That electronic trail, combined with the recovered iPhone and the victim's identification of Stokes in a photo lineup, gave detectives what they say was enough to establish probable cause for the arrest.
Authorities say the case is not closed yet. Detectives are still working to determine whether anyone else helped plan or carry out the roadside robbery.
Marketplace meetups and safe-exchange options
Police and consumer advocates have long warned that meeting strangers to buy or sell high-value gear can be risky, even when the deal looks routine in an app. The Federal Trade Commission's online shopping guidance stresses meeting in public, well-lit places, keeping a record of your messages and being cautious about sharing personal information.
Some agencies now try to take the sketch factor out of the equation with dedicated "safe exchange" parking spots at police stations. For example, Jupiter police encourage residents to use their station lot as a monitored meetup site, according to WPTV. Additional online shopping safety tips are available from the FTC.
Legal notes
Deputies say Stokes was booked on a count of robbery without a firearm, which Florida law classifies as robbery when force or the threat of force is used but no weapon is carried. Under Florida Statutes Section 812.13, robbery in which the offender did not carry a firearm or other weapon is a second-degree felony, and sentencing for that level of felony is controlled by the state's penalty statutes.
Prosecutors will make the final call on which charges to file as the case moves through the courts. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office remains the lead agency on the investigation and has not announced any additional arrests. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office while the probe continues.
