Philadelphia Weekly

Michael Daniels likes to play cop.

Answering men-seeking-men ads on Craigslist, the hulking 26-year-old con artist would arrive at a victim’s door with a gold badge on his hip and metal handcuffs on his belt. Pretending to be a detective, Daniels told the men they were under investigation for soliciting minors since they hadn’t verified his age in email conversations. He’d chirp into a hand-held radio as if communicating with some stationhouse lieutenant and inform the frightened men they were heading to jail.

That is, unless they could pay cash.

Then he’d transport them to the nearest bank. One man paid $1,500; another forked over $3,000. The four victims who testified at a recent preliminary hearing were Center City-area, middle-aged professionals who used Craigslist’s popular—if explicit—personals to arrange no strings attached sex. According to police, none of the victims posted ads seeking minors, nor did anything illegal.

“They were looking for a sexual encounter with an adult,” says Sgt. Ray Evers, a Philadelphia Police spokesperson, “and they were targeted by someone who figured they wouldn’t report what happened.” 


Daniels was a prolific scammer who likely bilked many victims who’ve yet to step forward, say police.

Perhaps, they’re embarrassed. Worse, they may still believe they were blackmailed by an actual cop. Police are calling on these victims to come forward.

“This guy’s dangerous and we want to put him away for a really long time,” says Evers. “The more cases we have on him, the more time he’ll do.”

While waiting to testify at the preliminary hearing, Chris, a polite, soft-spoken man with a trimmed, gray-speckled goatee, sat on a marble bench outside the courtroom and recounted his ordeal.

“It was the day Michael Jackson died,” explains Chris, who prefers to withhold his last name given the personal nature of the matter. “I was just home from work and cleaning up my dogs’ doggie papers when somebody knocked at the door.” 


“You have to come with me, sir,” said Daniels, standing on the porch with his badge, cuffs and radio. (Police say he never carried a gun.) “You’re under investigation for soliciting minors on Craigslist.” 


Chris’ heart raced. Yes, he found men through Craigslist, but he always asked potential flings their ages, and hadn’t even made a date for that afternoon. 


“This is a mistake,” Chris told Daniels. “I’m a good person. I’d never do something like that.”


“You can tell the judge your story,” said Daniels, running Chris’ information through his make-believe police radio and telling him to collect his shoes for the ride to the station. 


At the time, Chris was just regaining his health after a serious illness. He walks with a limp and has a warble to his voice. 


“If there’s a time to start praying, it’s now,” Daniels told him. “You could be locked up for 36 hours before this gets straightened out.”


Daniels kept talking into his radio. Chris began to hyperventilate. “I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” he remembers. “I just kept thinking, this can’t be happening to me.”

After speaking to his “lieutenant,” Daniels told Chris his arresting paperwork could be pulled back, but it would cost him. Three grand would do it. Believing he was caught up in an imbroglio that could threaten his professional standing, Chris agreed to pay. Daniels drove him to a nearby bank. Chris had the teller put the bills into an envelope. Money in hand, Daniels tormented Chris a little more. 


“At least you have remorse,” he said, dropping Chris off at home. “Not like some of the other people I’ve arrested.” Then he sped off.