Covington Man Convicted in Deadly Online Dating Site Robbery

Mark Antonio White, 23, of Covington, was convicted on Friday for orchestrating a deadly robbery using an online dating site to lure 39-year-old Garcia Danielle Gaddis of Sandy Springs. White was sentenced to life in prison plus five years without parole after being found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and firearm possession during a felony in the October 2021 killing.

According to the investigation, Gaddis left his home on October 21, 2021, after making plans with a user on the Tagged dating app, later identified as White. Surveillance footage from the Little Suwanee Pointe neighborhood captured Gaddis arriving in his Dodge Ram 1500 truck to meet White, who was waiting near a pool clubhouse. The video showed Gaddis’ truck stopping at the location and a man with shoulder-length dreadlocks entering the vehicle around 11 p.m. Minutes later, the same man was seen walking away from the truck as it drove toward the neighborhood entrance, where Gaddis was later found dead.

Gaddis’ body was discovered on October 24, 2021, by Gwinnett County officers responding to a noise complaint in Lawrenceville. Officers found him slumped in the driver’s seat with a single gunshot wound to the head. His wallet, cell phone, and keys were missing, pointing investigators to a possible robbery motive.

Police found a shell casing in the truck that matched casings from a July 2021 incident involving White. In that earlier incident, White was accused of firing at his ex-girlfriend and her mother during a confrontation. The mother had collected the casings as evidence, which later helped police match them to the one found in Gaddis’ truck. Additional surveillance and police bodycam footage obtained from a subsequent eviction at a nearby townhome complex helped police link White to the scene.

Following a warrant issued in June 2022, White was apprehended. During his trial, the prosecution, led by Managing Assistant District Attorney Michele Sims and Assistant District Attorney Diamond Johnson, presented a case showing White’s intentional setup of Gaddis through the dating app with plans to rob him.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson remarked, “We pray that this verdict and the justice it serves bring solace to Mr. Gaddis’ family and loved ones.” The case was prosecuted with support from DA’s Investigator Christina Newman and Victim Witness Advocate Karen McKinlay, with Sgt. Jorstad of the Gwinnett County Police Department being instrumental in the investigation’s success.