Suspect in WA marketplace armed robberies

Bellevue online marketplace robbery suspect pleads not guilty

A Blessing McDaniel is accused of setting up purchases via online marketplaces, and then robbing the sellers at gunpoint with his accomplices.

BELLEVUE, Wash. - A man suspected of robbing multiple people at gunpoint after using online marketplaces pleaded not guilty on Monday.

What we know:

A Blessing Jamalachi McDaniel, 20, is charged with robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and hit-and-run in connection to a series of armed robberies across King County.

Police said McDaniel would contact his victims online and arrange a public location to meet, but instead of completing the transaction, he or his accomplices held victims at gunpoint, stole their items for sale, and fled the scene.

These robberies happened across multiple cities in western Washington, including Bellevue, Edmonds, Federal Way, Kent and Seattle.

Bellevue Police said McDaniel was involved in the following three incidents:

March 13 - A 32-year-old man was robbed of four watches, valued at $2,700, after one of McDaniel's accomplices pointed an assault rifle at him.
March 2 - A man sold his vehicle to McDaniel, who provided a stolen check as payment.
February 27 - McDaniel got behind a vehicle he did not provide full payment for, and struck a 23-year-old victim while driving away from the scene.

All of these involved transactions began on an online marketplace website or social media, police said.

McDaniel remains in King County Jail on $200,000 bail.

The Source: Information in this story is from the Bellevue Police Department and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.