ISU Police uncovered Friday that the alleged armed robbery near Wallace Hall on July 11 never happened.

Singleton Nichols, 26, of Ames, reported that he was robbed of $800 while trying to buy a car from a man he only knew as Antwon, who was later identified as William Whitley.

ISU Police investigators found the accusations made by Nichols were false.

“Mr. Whitley denied involvement in any armed robbery and to date there is no evidence to indicate that an armed robbery did occur,” said ISU Police Cmdr. Gene Deisinger.

There had been an agreement prior to July 11 for Whitley to sell Nichols his Buick Riviera. The two agreed upon the price of $3,000. Nichols gave Whitley $600 and a PlayStation Portable video game system as a down payment.

“On July 11, Mr. Whitley says that he and Nichols again talked about the car, and spent time in the car, which had been in Mr. Nichols possession,” Deisinger said. “At that time Mr. Nichols decided he did not want to purchase the car and wanted his money back.”

In Whitley’s account of the story, Whitley paid back Nichols $300 and the PSP, but still owed him $300.

Deisinger said investigators listened in on conversations between Whitley and Nichols.

“In those conversations, Mr. Nichols made several statements indicating that he would maintain the allegation of the robbery against Whitley unless Whitley paid him money beyond that which he was due,” Deisinger said.

On Friday ISU Police executed a search warrant at Nichols’ apartment.

“Mr. Whitley had told us that there was a written agreement regarding the purchase of the car and that he had seen a copy of that agreement in Mr. Nichols apartment,” Deisinger said.

Deisinger said Mr. Nichols claimed the two had never met and there was no written agreement to buy the car. “The written contract was found in Nichols’ apartment,” Deisinger said. “In the course of executing the search warrant, some material was found that is suspected to be a controlled substance and there was a loaded firearm.”

Nichols was arrested at his apartment Friday and charged with extortion, a Class D felony, and been transported to the Story County Jail.

“He provided a false report to law enforcement to put pressure on Whitley to pay not only the money he was due, which Mr. Whitley acknowledges he still owed him, but wanted more money beyond that,” Deisinger said.