Former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem was found guilty by a jury of kidnapping and robbery for participating in "wrench attacks" against cryptocurrency holders (using violence to coerce private keys). The case took place in an apartment in Los Angeles Koreatown in 2024, where Halem and accomplices impersonated police officers, entered the residence, and held a gun to a 17-year-old cryptocurrency holder, stealing a hard drive containing private keys for approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. The related charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. (Decrypt)
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Former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem was found guilty by a jury of kidnapping and robbery for participating in "wrench attacks" against cryptocurrency holders (using violence to coerce private keys). The case took place in an apartment in Los Angeles Koreatown in 2024, where Halem and accomplices impersonated police officers, entered the residence, and held a gun to a 17-year-old cryptocurrency holder, stealing a hard drive containing private keys for approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. The related charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. (Decrypt)