Four people are charged in a Snapchat ruse that became an Independence robbery

Jackson County authorities on Friday charged three men and a woman with robbery and kidnapping after they allegedly lured a fourth man into a trap in Independence.

The victim, thinking he was going to have sex with the woman, instead encountered the three men, who allegedly took his wallet, car and most of his clothes before releasing him at a park.

An Independence police officer later saw the victim walking along Missouri 78 wearing only boxer shorts and shoes.

Charged Friday with first-degree robbery and kidnapping were James T. Hunter, 23, Zachary A. Donahoo, 18, Tristen W. Bishop, 18, and Sydney M. Adams, 19.

According to court documents, the victim told police that he had received a Snapchat invitation on his cellphone from Adams, an old friend who invited him to meet her Wednesday night to have sex at a home in the 1000 block of South Pearl Street.

When he arrived about 7:30 p.m., the victim told police, Adams met him at the front door wearing only a towel. She directed him to a bedroom, but when he walked in, he found three men who told him he had to “flip his pockets” for them.

The victim said he was told to take off his clothes and lie on the floor. He did so, giving the men his clothes, wallet, iPhone and car key.

One of the men, the victim said, threatened him with a handgun.

Soon two of the men escorted the victim to his car, a 2014 Ford Focus. He sat in the front passenger seat and blindfolded himself with a bandanna, as directed. He was released at a park near Missouri 78 and Missouri 7. The officer saw him walking along the highway about 8:45 p.m.

Authorities rounded up the four suspects after the victim identified one of them from a photo array. Officers stopped Hunter, Adams and Bishop as they were leaving the home on South Pearl Street in a Dodge Durango and took them to police headquarters.

Adams allegedly told investigators that she, Hunter, Bishop and Donahoo had planned the robbery.

On Thursday, detectives executing a search warrant at the South Pearl Street house recovered an ID card and backpack belonging to the victim. Officers executing a second search warrant on the Dodge Durango found a BB pistol as well as a flare pistol.

Later that day, police arrested Donahoo at an Independence motel, where investigators recovered the key to the Ford Focus.

A preliminary hearing for Adams is scheduled for April 29. Preliminary hearings for the three others are set for May 11.

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Four people are charged in a Snapchat ruse that became an Independence robbery."