robbery

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Connecticut stated that three men from St. Louis, Sedric Louis, John Davis, and Martel Williams, have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, allegedly planning to break into a residence and force the victims to transfer cryptocurrency related to a theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin. Each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.Prosecutors allege that the three traveled to Connecticut from August 21 to 24, 2024, rented a car, and prepared items such as air guns and walkie-talkies, monitoring their target and the target's parents for two consecutive days before abandoning the plan due to concerns that residential cameras would record their movements. Subsequently, another group from Florida executed the same plan and six individuals were arrested on August 25 in connection with a carjacking involving a Lamborghini Urus. Louis and Davis have been held since their arrest on June 25 and pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 30 in federal court in Bridgeport; Williams was released on bail after making the same plea on July 17. Prosecutors stated that the kidnapping target was the parent of an individual involved in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin, and the indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt.

According to The Block, former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for his involvement in a cryptocurrency-related robbery case.

According to Laprovence, French police arrested four suspects in Marseille and surrounding areas in connection with an attempted kidnapping and robbery involving cryptocurrency assets. The incident occurred around 3 AM on June 13, 2026, when the suspects broke into a residence in the 13th district of Marseille, attempting to obtain cryptocurrency-related assets by holding two women hostage. A family was awakened by the noise and immediately called the police, prompting the suspects to flee the scene, leaving only vehicle license plate clues behind.It is reported that such cryptocurrency kidnapping crimes are on the rise in France, with approximately 70 cases involving the kidnapping or extortion of cryptocurrency assets recorded since 2026. Police state that these cases typically target cryptocurrency asset holders and their family members, exhibiting highly targeted and violent characteristics.

According to Thaiger, Thai police arrested 8 suspects in Bangkok. The gang is suspected of robbing a 35-year-old Chinese man of 196,000 Thai Baht during an offline cryptocurrency exchange.It is reported that the victim went to a gas station café in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok to complete the exchange of Thai Baht for cryptocurrency as agreed online. After receiving the cash, the suspects fled on motorcycles. A total of 9 people were involved in the case, using 6 motorcycles to escape, and 1 suspect is still at large. Police seized vehicles, clothing items related to the case, and 81,000 Thai Baht in cash. The 8 arrested individuals have been charged with robbery, aiding in escape, and conspiracy to commit a crime, and the case has been transferred to the local police station for further investigation.

According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. Department of Justice disclosed that Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker have been charged with home invasion and kidnapping targeting cryptocurrency holders in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, involving at least $6.5 million.Prosecutors stated that the three pretended to be delivery personnel to forcibly enter residences and threatened victims with violence to hand over their cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases. The indictment shows that between November 22 and December 31, 2025, at least four individuals were targeted, with one victim being forced to transfer $6.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.

In February this year, several Chinese citizens were raided by the police at a rented villa in Country Heights, Kajang, Malaysia. The police claimed to suspect that the Chinese citizens were involved in fraud, and subsequently, the Chinese citizens were forced to transfer about $50,000 (approximately 200,000 ringgit) in USDT. The police later arrested 12 officers involved in the case and removed them from frontline duties, but the investigation still awaits technical reports and digital evidence results, and there has been no breakthrough to date.Lawyer Charles, representing eight Chinese victims, stated that the investigation is progressing too slowly. Since the arrest of the 12 involved police officers, there has been no further information, raising suspicions of internal interference attempting to suppress the case. He warned that if there is internal protection, he will file a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

French police are investigating a vicious cryptocurrency "ransom attack" case. Three criminals disguised as police officers broke into a residential home near Paris, threatened and controlled a couple in their 50s with knives, forcing the husband to transfer approximately $1 million worth of Bitcoin that he held. The victims were injured, the husband was bound, and the criminals fled in a car after their heist.This case highlights that the security threats in cryptocurrency are shifting from digital attacks to physical coercion against holders. Criminals impersonate police, create a sense of urgency and

According to Caixin, on the morning of March 6, two victims were robbed at knife point after exchanging about 10 million Hong Kong dollars at a money exchange shop in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. However, due to prior police deployment, the suspects were caught on the scene, and the victims did not suffer any financial loss.It is reported that there have been three large cash robbery cases in the Sheung Wan area of Hong Kong in the past three months. Previously, on December 18, 2025, and January 30, there were two similar large cash robberies involving virtual currency exchange shops. The Hong Kong police stated that they would conduct an in-depth investigation to determine whether there are other members or criminal groups behind the scenes, and whether this case is related to previous robbery cases.

A former police officer in Los Angeles, Eric Halem, was found guilty by a jury of kidnapping and robbery for his involvement in a violent extortion case targeting cryptocurrency holders.The incident occurred in 2024 in an apartment in Koreatown, Los Angeles, where Eric Halem and his accomplices impersonated law enforcement officers, entered the premises, and held a 17-year-old cryptocurrency holder at gunpoint, seizing a hard drive containing the private keys to approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. The related charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

According to Caixin, from January 29 to 30, within less than 24 hours, the usually safe Tokyo, Japan, and Hong Kong, China, experienced consecutive robberies targeting large amounts of cash in yen, with the amounts involved reaching 420 million yen (approximately 19 million RMB) and 51 million yen (approximately 2.29 million RMB), respectively.About 6 hours after the incidents, the police arrested 3 suspects at Hong Kong International Airport on charges of "robbery" as they were attempting to leave the country. Additionally, 2 staff members at a virtual currency exchange store in Tsim Sha Tsui were arrested, including a 28-year-old local man and a 29-year-old man from mainland China, who are suspected of assisting the robbers in handling part of the stolen money.Preliminary intelligence analysis indicates that the relevant Japanese companies may have been profiting by carrying yen cash to Hong Kong to exchange for Hong Kong dollars, and then purchasing duty-free goods in Hong Kong to take advantage of the tax price differences between the two regions.

According to Decrypt, three masked men broke into a house in Manosque, France, tied up a woman at gunpoint, and stole a USB drive containing cryptocurrency. The victim was not injured; she managed to free herself and call the police within a few minutes. The case has been filed for investigation and is being handled by the local criminal investigation department and the regional branch of the national police.

According to Hong Kong media Hong Kong 01, last week, two employees from Japanese companies engaged in virtual currency and luxury goods took a vehicle to a virtual currency exchange shop in Sheung Wan, planning to exchange 1 billion yen (approximately 50 million HKD) packed in 4 suitcases for virtual currency and HKD, but were robbed at knife point.The Hong Kong police have disclosed that 15 people have been arrested so far, among which 7 have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. They are currently tracing the whereabouts of the funds, and the investigation is still ongoing, with the possibility of more arrests.

According to market news, the police in São Paulo, Brazil, successfully arrested 8 suspects involved in a Bitcoin robbery during a large-scale operation codenamed "Operation Cryptonita," while 1 person remains at large.According to the investigation, the victim disclosed their Bitcoin investment to a worker during office renovations, and subsequently, in November 2024, was robbed at gunpoint by an armed gang. The criminal group forced the victim to transfer approximately $54,000 worth of Bitcoin within about an hour and stole a truck, mobile phones, and laptops valued at $36,200. The police tracked digital transactions and discovered that the suspects created shell companies for money laundering, with most suspects having criminal records and connections to the construction industry.

According to Dlnews, the police in St. Petersburg, Russia, arrested a man who attempted to rob a cryptocurrency exchange by detonating fake grenades.The 21-year-old unemployed man entered the exchange office located on Khersonskaya Street in downtown St. Petersburg, detonated two fake grenades, and ignited a smoke bomb, then demanded that the staff transfer all the cryptocurrency assets of the exchange to his wallet. The St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the suspect was detained on the spot and was also carrying two undetonated fake grenades. The police have charged him under Article 162 of the Russian Criminal Code (robbery).

The Thames Valley Police in the UK stated that on the afternoon of November 4, two men and three women were attacked while traveling from Oxford to London

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, South Korean police arrested a man in his 20s from Russia in Busan on May 27, who is suspected of attempting to rob a cryptocurrency trading deal in Seoul.According to Gangwon Ilbo, the suspect, along with two accomplices, disguised themselves as cryptocurrency traders and lured 10 South Korean investors to a hotel in the Gangseo District of Seoul, attempting to steal approximately 1 billion won (about 730,000 USD) in cash.During the crime, the suspects wore protective vests and attacked the victims with imitation handguns and telescopic batons, binding them with cable ties. One victim managed to escape and call the police, leading to the suspects fleeing in a panic without obtaining any money. Police found imitation firearms, batons, protective vests, and a money counting machine in the suspect's hotel room.The other two accomplices have fled South Korea, and police have requested assistance from Interpol to apprehend them.

ChainCatcher message, crypto detective ZachXBT posted: "Someone tried to get me to delete a post that exposed a person involved in a $4.3 million robbery in the UK, who apparently submitted a court order from Brazil, claiming it violated UK law. However, the court order is forged, as the case is currently being heard in the UK, with zero connection to Brazil. Fortunately, X will alert you about such requests."