Four Frisco men are accused of using a dating app to target, assault and rob gay men in a string of home invasions.

Nigel Garrett, 21; Chancler Encalade, 20; Anthony Shelton, 19; and Cameron Ajiduah, 18, were indicted Wednesday on federal hate crime and conspiracy charges in four home invasions in Plano, Frisco and Aubrey.

According to the indictment, the men used social media dating platform Grindr to pass themselves off as gay men, arranging to meet at the victims' homes in January and February. Upon entering, the defendants assaulted the victims, restrained them with tape and made derogatory statements about their sexual orientation, the indictment states.

Grindr

In each case, the four had firearms and stole property, including motor vehicles, from the victim, according to the indictment, which was handed down by a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Texas.

The hate crimes carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as police departments in Plano and Frisco.