A 24-year-old Milwaukee man is facing six felony charges after prosecutors say he used Facebook Marketplace car listings to lure car sellers into robberies, kidnapping and a carjacking across the city this summer. Amari J. Carter is accused of targeting at least three victims between June and September, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office filed the complaint Saturday, charging Carter with kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, armed burglary, false imprisonment and carjacking, as reported by WISN. Prosecutors said Carter used Facebook Marketplace car listings to lure and rob at least three victims over the summer.
A Kia Sale Turns Into a Home Invasion
The first incident happened on June 17, when a woman sold her 2011 Kia Sorento for $1,000 near 76th Street and West Capitol Drive to a buyer using the profile name “Da Real Car Plug,” per the outlet's reporting. She handed over the Kia along with the key and title in exchange for cash, then deposited the $1,000 at a Chase Bank branch.
The next morning, the same man allegedly tracked the woman down at her apartment and entered through a window armed with a screwdriver, demanding his money back. He forced her into a silver sedan and drove her to a Chase Bank branch on West Capitol Drive, where she was made to withdraw the $1,000 she had deposited a day earlier.
After taking her phone, the man pointed a firearm at the woman, ordered her out of the vehicle, and drove off in the silver sedan, the station's report states. The woman later identified Carter in a police lineup.
Test Drive Turns Violent on West Capitol Drive
A second vehicle-related robbery unfolded on September 18 along West Capitol Drive, when a man arranged to sell his 2008 Infiniti G35x to a buyer identified as Jonathan Pierce. During the test drive, the buyer produced a firearm and struggled with the seller over the vehicle's title before fleeing without the car, according to the same account.
The Infiniti was recovered later that same day. Fingerprints lifted from the title matched Carter, investigators found.
Third Robbery Targets Out-of-State Seller
Two days later, on September 20, a man from Roselle, Illinois, traveled to Milwaukee to sell his 2013 BMW 535i GT near West Mill Road and North 60th Street. The buyer, who gave the name “Jonathon,” punched the seller repeatedly during a test drive, forced him out of the car, and drove away in the BMW, per the same account. Both the victim and a witness later identified Carter in a police lineup.
Court records state that Carter denied the carjacking allegations during a police interview, after having been advised of his Miranda rights.
What Carter Could Face Under Wisconsin Sentencing Law
The kidnapping charge and both armed robbery counts are Class C felonies, each punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, while armed burglary and carjacking are Class E felonies carrying up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine each, and false imprisonment is a Class H felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to WISN's reporting.
Under Wisconsin law, maximum penalties vary by felony class: Class C felonies carry up to 40 years, Class E felonies up to 15 years, and Class H felonies up to six years. A felony conviction would also strip Carter of his right to vote until he completes the entirety of his court-ordered sentence, including any extended supervision or probation, according to Grieve Law.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Marketplace Violence
Carter's case adds to a string of Facebook Marketplace robberies that have rattled buyers and sellers across the Milwaukee area this year. A January 18 incident involving an in-person iPad transaction turned into a knifepoint robbery, and a 17-year-old was charged with armed robbery, per FOX6 News Milwaukee. In August, a Marketplace sale in nearby Muskego escalated to gunfire when two Milwaukee suspects loaded stolen goods into a car and fired a handgun before fleeing, as Hoodline reported in coverage of a Muskego shooting.
These incidents come even as citywide crime trends have moved in a more positive direction. Milwaukee police statistics from 2026 showed a 31% year-to-date drop in carjackings through July compared to the same period in 2025, alongside an overall 8% decline in citywide crime, a trend Hoodline detailed in its reporting on an armed carjacking spree. The Kia sale took place near 76th Street and West Capitol Drive, and the Infiniti incident took place on West Capitol Drive.
Safe Exchange Zones Available for Online Sales
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Police Department also offers a “Safe Trade Spot” in its parking lot at 3351 N. Downer Ave. for community members conducting online exchanges, per the university.
