DALLAS, Texas – A Dallas man has pleaded guilty to hate crime charges after authorities said he used a dating app to target gay men for violent crimes.
Daniel Jenkins, 22, is the last of four defendants to plead guilty in connection with the scheme and is charged with one count of hate crimes, conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping and carjacking and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Michael Atkinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping charges in connection with this case in March 2019. In December 2019, Daryl Henry and Pablo Ceniceros-Deleon pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and other charges also in connection with the case.
According to court documents, Jenkins admitted that he and the others involved in the scheme used the popular gay dating app Grindr to “lure gay men to a vacant apartment and other areas in and around Dallas for robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and hate crimes over the course of approximately a week in December 2017.”
“Jenkins admitted that he and his co-conspirators held victims against their will (and) pointed a handgun at victims and took their personal property, including their vehicles,” authorities said. “(They) traveled to local ATMs to withdraw cash from the victims’ accounts.”
According to officials, Jenkins also admitted that he and the others involved physically injured at least one victim and taunted the victims “based upon the co-conspirators’ perception of the men’s sexual orientation.”
Michael Atkinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping charges in connection with this case in March 2019. In December 2019, Daryl Henry and Pablo Ceniceros-Deleon pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and other charges also in connection with the case. Sentencing for the three defendants is set for June 23, according to authorities.
Sentencing for Atkinson, Henry and Ceniceros-Deleon is set for June 23, according to authorities.
Daniel Jenkins’ sentencing is set for Oct. 6. Jenkins faces a sentence of up to 26 years in prison.