Man charged in South Jersey Craigslist robberies

A Burlington County man is facing charges for allegedly robbing people who were trying to buy goods on Craigslist.

Cherry Hill police said today that 33-year-old Marcell T. Spears of Willingboro went to the North Valleybrook Road home of a man who had responded to a Craigslist advertisement for an iPhone 5 for sale on the evening of July 1.

The plan was for Spears, the purported seller, to complete the cash transaction outside the buyer's home.

But when Spears arrived, instead of selling the iPhone, he pointed a rifle at the buyer, robbed him of $200 and fled in a vehicle, police said.

Authorities said a similar robbery took place in Moorestown about an hour earlier, and Moorestown and Cherry Hill police identified Spears as the assailant.

He is facing charges of robbery, theft, and various weapons offenses.

Police advise anyone buying or selling goods on Craigslist and other sites to conduct transactions in public, bring another person with them, and let family or friends know the time and location of the meeting.