A Georgia man who prosecutors say used a dating app to lure a victim into a violent robbery has been sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years after a jury found him guilty on multiple felony charges.
According to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office, 27-year-old Prince Hawar Rolle of Canton was convicted in connection with a June 2025 robbery and shooting at River Ridge Apartments. Investigators said the victim believed he was meeting a man he had connected with through a dating app and invited him to his apartment.
Prosecutors said the meeting was actually part of a robbery plot.
Authorities allege that Rolle arrived at the apartment with another man, who pointed a gun at the victim while Rolle searched the residence for valuables. During the robbery, investigators say cash and a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun were stolen from the apartment.
According to prosecutors, the violence escalated when Rolle used the victim’s own stolen firearm to shoot him in the abdomen before firing another shot as he fled the scene. The victim survived the attack but spent nearly a month hospitalized and underwent multiple surgeries as a result of his injuries.
Investigators said the case initially presented challenges because the victims were unable to identify the suspects. Detectives instead relied on a combination of digital evidence, including dating app records, cellphone data, text messages, and license plate reader technology that helped place Rolle near the scene around the time of the shooting.
Authorities later obtained search warrants for Rolle’s cellphones, where prosecutors said they discovered messages discussing the theft of money and a firearm, along with evidence linking him to the apartment complex on the night of the crime.
During the two-day trial, jurors heard testimony from nine witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage, cellphone records, photographs, and text messages collected during the investigation.
After roughly three hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges, including criminal attempt to commit murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, and multiple firearm offenses.
Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced Rolle to life in prison plus an additional 10 years, the maximum sentence allowed under Georgia law. He must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. The court also ordered him to pay more than $213,000 in restitution to cover the victim’s medical expenses.
Authorities say a second suspect involved in the robbery has not yet been identified or arrested.
