Suspect Arrested After Dating App Incidents

A suspect has been arrested after catfishing people on a dating app, arranging meetups, then trapping and threatening them in his vehicle. Deputies are concerned that more victims may exist.

On August 31, 2025, a Larimer County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a 911 hangup call originating from the Douglas Reservoir area in Fort Collins. When they arrived, they saw a man identified as Anthony Brown-Wright (DOB 08/09/92) and another adult exit Brown-Wright’s white GMC Yukon. 

After gathering information, deputies learned that the victim had arranged to meet up at the reservoir with a woman. The victim entered the vehicle and realized Brown-Wright had misrepresented his identity (commonly known online as “catfishing”). Brown-Wright prevented the victim from leaving and hung up the phone when the victim tried calling 911.

The deputy recognized the similarities between this case and one that happened on August 22, 2025. In that incident, the suspect (matching Brown-Wright’s description) and victim met on the same dating app. They arranged to meet up at Simpson Ponds, which is south of Loveland in unincorporated Larimer County. The victim entered the white GMC Yukon expecting to meet a person of a completely different description than Brown-Wright. The suspect became violent and prevented the victim from leaving, but the victim fought back and was able to exit the vehicle. Brown-White threatened to press charges against the victim for fighting him, then asked for sexual acts in lieu of calling police.

Brown-Wright was arrested on August 31 and booked into the Larimer County Jail. He faces the following charges:

• Criminal Extortion (class 4 felony)
• Third Degree Assault (class 1 misdemeanor)
• Obstruction of Phone or Telegraph Service (class 1 misdemeanor)
• First Degree Trespass with Intent to Commit Crime (class 1 misdemeanor)
• False Imprisonment (class 2 misdemeanor) - 2 counts
• Theft less than $300 (petty offense)

He was issued a $25,000 cash/surety bond by the Larimer County Court. A booking photo is attached. 

Both victims are transgender individuals. Deputies are still working to determine if the suspect intentionally targeted them based on their gender identity. Due to the similarity in the cases, deputies are concerned that other victims may exist. Anyone with information about this suspect or other incidents should contact Deputy Megan Job at 970-577-2085. People who want to provide information anonymously can also contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org. 

“Consent is always necessary. That’s true whether you’re in a committed relationship or a casual meetup,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “We understand how someone might feel uncomfortable reporting an incident like this, and I really want to thank the two people who came forward. If you’ve experienced something similar, please let us know. We’re not here to judge. We’re here to support you and keep our community safe.”

Charges are merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

RESOURCES

Everyone deserves to feel safe and be safe in relationships, regardless of the context. If you or someone you know has experienced intimate partner violence, support resources are available in our community:

SAVA Center 
https://savacenter.org/
Fort Collins: (970) 472-4204
Loveland: (970) 775-2962

The Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center provides crisis intervention, advocacy, and counseling for all those affected by sexual violence in Northern Colorado while also providing prevention programs through community outreach and education.

Crossroads Safehouse
https://crossroadssafehouse.org/
(970) 482-3535

Crossroads provides emergency safehousing, advocacy, legal assistance, rapid rehousing and crisis intervention for victims of domestic violence

Alternatives to Violence
https://alternativestoviolence.org/
(970) 669-5150

Alternatives to Violence provides shelter, advocacy, education and resources for people impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Estes Valley Crisis Advocates
https://www.crisisadvocates.org/
Call: (970) 577-9781
Text: (513) 970-3822

Estes Valley Crisis Advocates provides an array of free and confidential services to survivors of crime and trauma.

SummitStone Health Partners
https://www.summitstonehealth.org/
(970) 494-4200

SummitStone provides counseling for psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems, domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and drug and alcohol problems. Individual, family and group therapy are available.

CSU Survivor Support Services
https://safecenter.colostate.edu/
(970) 491-6384

Victim Advocates work with members of the campus community who have experienced trauma by providing free and confidential crisis intervention, emotional support, assistance in navigating complicated processes, as well as facilitating connections to mental health resources, academic support, and more.