Two brothers from Kenner are facing a slate of felony charges after police say a Grindr meetup turned into a blackmail shakedown of a 68-year-old man, complete with fake police badges and threats of a sex-crime arrest. Investigators allege the men posed as a juvenile online, then showed up at the victim's home, threatened to report him for soliciting a minor unless he paid up, and left with an electronic tablet and jewelry. Prosecutors have an arraignment set for Aug. 20, 2026, and the case is stirring fresh concern about scams that start on dating apps.
According to NOLA.com, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office filed charges this month against 22-year-old Frank Thompson and his 26-year-old brother, Butch Thompson. Investigators say the brothers first demanded $6,000, then bumped that figure to $8,000, which the victim allegedly paid, before some of the jewelry taken from the home was pawned in Metairie. Detectives arrested the Thompsons on Jan. 28, 2025, and prosecutors say they now face counts of extortion, false personation of a peace officer, theft, and burglary of an inhabited dwelling.
How Investigators Say It Unfolded
Kenner police say the victim connected with the Thompsons on Grindr in January 2025 and invited them to his Kenner home. Once inside, detectives allege, the brothers pretended to be police officers, then demanded cash and valuables while threatening to expose the man for soliciting a minor if he refused. Officers later recovered an electronic tablet and jewelry, and detectives say they tracked some of the pieces to a Metairie pawn shop. That detail, according to police, led to an additional misdemeanor theft count tied to about $650 in pawn-shop losses.
Charges And Next Steps
Court records reviewed by NOLA.com confirm the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office has formally filed the charges and that both men are due in parish court on Aug. 20, 2026, for arraignment. That hearing is expected to be the next public step in the case, where a judge can address bond and prosecutors can lay out the formal accusations in open court. So far, prosecutors and Kenner police have not issued further public comment as the case moves through the system.
Why This Matters
Blackmail schemes tied to dating apps, often called sextortion when suspects use intimate images or fake-underage claims as leverage, remain a growing concern for law enforcement. Authorities urge anyone targeted to speak up, rather than pay, and to report attempts both to local police and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The FBI's IC3 has issued public-service alerts about rising sextortion cases, and consumer advocates at AARP warn that older adults and LGBTQ users are often singled out on platforms like Grindr. If you think you have been targeted, officials advise saving all messages and screenshots, filing a report with the FBI at IC3, and contacting local law enforcement to discuss next steps and available resources.
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