DA: Man robbed at knifepoint after being lured to downtown Boston hotel for sexual encounter

BOSTON — Two people are facing criminal charges after a man was lured to a hotel in downtown Boston for a sexual encounter and then robbed at knifepoint, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Danine Sampson, 27, of the Bronx, New York, and Robert Santana, 28, of Lawrence, were arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Dec. 22 on charges in connection with an incident at the Hilton Boston Back Bay 40 Dalton Street, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

Simpson, who was ordered held on $1,500 bail, is charged with armed robbery. Santana was ordered held without bail on charges of illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, and illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Officers responding to the Hilton on Dec. 21 met with a man who stated he had been informed about a sex-for-fee service, contacted a female on a website, and arranged a meeting on the 23rd floor of the hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, the man was allegedly robbed by Simpson.

“The man said Simpson called him into her room when he arrived, brandished a knife, and ordered him to hand over $200,” prosecutors said in a news release. “The man handed the money over and then reported the incident to the hotel lobby. Officers arrived on the scene and the man identified Simpson as the person who robbed him.”

When officers later confronted Santana, prosecutors say “he tried to back away and started to profusely sweat.” They then reportedly found a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with eight rounds in his fanny pack.

In a statement, Haden said, “This was a dangerous incident all around, both for the man who placed himself in an unknown situation with unknown people and for the police officers who responded to an armed robbery call and ended up dealing with an individual with a loaded gun.”

The man who went to the hotel seeking sex will be charged at a later date with engaging in sexual conduct for a fee, according to prosecutors.

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