A New York man has pleaded guilty after prosecutors said he used a fake Snapchat sale to lure an acquaintance to a mall parking lot and rob him of $200.
Daevon Gaillard, 22, of Saratoga Springs, admitted to robbery and witness tampering in Albany County Court, according to CBS6 Albany.
The case began on July 11, 2025, when authorities said Gaillard posted on Snapchat that he was selling a PlayStation video game console.
An acquaintance agreed to meet him around 7:30 p.m. in the Crossgates Mall parking lot in Guilderland.
A Saratoga Springs man admitted to committing an armed robbery at a Crossgates Mall parking lot last summer, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. https://t.co/oNgXNNIWLE
— CBS 6 Albany – WRGB (@CBS6Albany) June 29, 2026
The Snapchat Post Offered A PlayStation
The offer appeared to be a simple private sale for a video game console.
Prosecutors said the victim went to the mall parking lot to buy the PlayStation and brought $200 for the transaction. The Snapchat post created a reason for the victim to meet Gaillard in person, at night, with cash ready.
Authorities said Gaillard knew the victim because the two were acquaintances.
The Mall Meetup Turned Into A Robbery
When the victim began counting out the $200, investigators said Gaillard tried to rip the money from his hand.
When that did not work, prosecutors said Gaillard pulled out a handgun. The victim then gave up the cash, and Gaillard ran from the Crossgates Mall parking lot, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office account summarized by CBS6.
Guilderland police arrested Gaillard on July 24, 2025, nearly two weeks after the robbery.
Jail Calls Added A Second Charge
The case did not stop with the robbery arrest.
Authorities said that while Gaillard was incarcerated at the Albany County Correctional Facility, he made multiple phone calls through third parties. Prosecutors said those calls were meant to pressure the victim to drop the charges in exchange for financial compensation.
That conduct became part of the final plea. Gaillard pleaded guilty to robbery in the third degree and tampering with a witness in the fourth degree.
Sentencing Is Still Ahead
Gaillard now faces up to seven years in state prison.
His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27 at 2 p.m.
Prosecutors said the Snapchat sale was the lure, the mall parking lot was the meeting place, and the $200 PlayStation transaction became a robbery once Gaillard tried to take the money and then displayed a handgun.
How To Make Private Social-Media Sales Safer
The case is also a warning about private sales arranged through Snapchat, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, text messages, or other informal channels. A public location can make a meetup feel safer, but it does not remove the risk when a stranger or acquaintance knows the buyer is arriving with cash.
Buyers should avoid meeting after dark, sitting inside a seller’s vehicle, walking to a secluded part of a parking lot, or counting cash in front of the seller before the item is visible and verified. When possible, the safest exchange location is a police department lobby, a marked safe-exchange zone, or another monitored public place with cameras and steady foot traffic.
A real seller should be willing to meet in a safer location, show the item before money changes hands, and keep the transaction straightforward. Pressure to move quickly, switch locations, bring cash only, meet in a remote corner, or keep the deal off-platform should be treated as a red flag.
Buyers should tell someone where they are going, bring another person when possible, keep screenshots of the listing and messages, and leave immediately if the seller changes the plan or the situation feels wrong. If a meetup turns threatening, the priority is getting away safely and calling police, not arguing over the money or item.
