A Facebook Marketplace deal for two pairs of Nike Jordan sneakers in Skyway allegedly turned into a gunpoint robbery on June 12, when the buyer pulled a black pistol, pointed it at the seller, and fled. The buyer has now been identified as 23-year-old Said Mohamed Hussein, who prosecutors say has a history of similar Facebook Marketplace robberies, including three first-degree robbery convictions from 2022.
Sneaker Deal Allegedly Turned Violent
According to court documents cited by KING5.com, Hussein arranged to buy sneakers through Facebook Marketplace and met the seller at Skyway Park, where he was accused of stealing two pairs of Nike Jordan sneakers valued at $560. The seller reportedly valued the two pairs at $280 each. During the encounter, Hussein allegedly pulled a black pistol from his jacket, pointed it at the seller, and demanded that he open the vehicle's trunk, along with the seller's personal belongings and remaining shoes.
The seller told investigators he feared for his life during the confrontation, and a woman intervened between him and Hussein as the situation escalated. Hussein allegedly ran toward the Green Hill apartment complex. The seller later identified Hussein in a six-photograph lineup and said he was about 90 percent confident in the identification.
Digital Trail Led Investigators to Hussein
Investigators reportedly traced the Facebook account used in the sneaker deal to the username Nova Toohard, and found that Facebook records showed a verified phone number associated with that account. That number was linked to Hussein and matched the number he had provided to his Washington Department of Corrections supervision officer, according to the report. Detectives also found cellphone conversations matching screenshots the seller provided, and cellphone location records reportedly placed Hussein's phone at Skyway Park both before and after the robbery.
Investigators say a separate, earlier incident in Lynnwood followed a similar pattern. Lynnwood police had identified Hussein as a suspect after he allegedly arranged to purchase a cellphone there, then pulled a handgun on the seller and demanded the seller's phone before the seller's spouse confronted him. Hussein allegedly fired a shot into the ground while fleeing. The Facebook account used in that case reportedly carried the same Nova Toohard username. The pattern tracks with what prosecutors describe as a broader history: per the same account, Hussein's 2022 robbery convictions involved similar Facebook Marketplace targeting.
Charges and Prior Record
Hussein is now charged with first-degree robbery, attempted first-degree robbery, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of second-degree assault, the report states. The first-degree robbery charge is in King County, while the other charges are before Snohomish County Superior Court. Under Washington law, first-degree robbery is classified as a class A felony, according to the Washington Legislature, while first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm is a class B felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW, per a separate Washington Legislature statute.
Hussein was convicted of three counts of first-degree robbery in 2022 and was sentenced to 48 months in custody, with his release reported in May 2025. He also had a juvenile conviction for second-degree organized retail theft dating to 2019. He was previously held in Snohomish County Jail, where bail was set at $300,000, and King County prosecutors have requested the same $300,000 bail amount in the Skyway robbery case, citing his previous convictions and pending charges as reasons for the request.
Arrest and Recovered Firearm
Investigators recovered a black Springfield XD 9mm handgun from Hussein's vehicle, the report states. Hussein was taken into custody on July 1 at a Department of Corrections office in Auburn and booked into King County Jail.
The alleged Skyway robbery echoes a pattern seen elsewhere involving online marketplace sales turning violent. In Florida, a man was accused of robbing a Facebook Marketplace seller of shoes and a watch at gunpoint, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reporting that shots were fired, though no injuries were reported in that case.
