A Los Angeles jury has convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping and theft, ending a trial that uncovered how a sworn protector used his badge to terrorize a teenage Bitcoin holder.
The crime came about within the early hours of 28 December 2024. In accordance with experiences from the Los Angeles Instances, Halem, who was serving as a reserve officer on the time, and three others gained entry to a high-rise residence in Koreatown.
The group didn’t choose the lock; that they had the entry code, allegedly obtained from a conspirator who had rented the unit to the sufferer. The assailants wore vests figuring out themselves as police, successfully weaponizing the sufferer’s compliance in opposition to him.
They restrained the 17-year-old sufferer, recognized in courtroom as Daniel, and his girlfriend utilizing LAPD-issued handcuffs. Underneath the specter of loss of life, {the teenager} surrendered a tough drive containing the non-public keys to roughly $350,000 in Bitcoin.
Whereas we often see tales the place South Korean police mishandle Bitcoin arrests via incompetence, this was calculated malice by an insider who knew precisely tips on how to exploit the system.
Former LAPD officer discovered responsible in crypto theft.
Former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem has been convicted of kidnapping a 17-year-old teenager and stealing $350,000 in Bitcoin throughout a house invasion in 2024.
In accordance with the courtroom, Halem and three accomplices posed… pic.twitter.com/mnaSzyJ0N7
— TU_Crypto_News (@TU_Crypto_News) March 4, 2026
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Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom Discovered Halem Responsible In Bitcoin Kidnapping Case
A Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom jury discovered Halem responsible of kidnapping and theft. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on March 31.
The prosecutors argued that Halem violated his oath in probably the most egregious approach doable. Deputy District Lawyer Jane Brownstone offered proof that Halem even monitored police radio visitors after the theft to trace the response—a stage of sophistication that terrified the jury.
Halem now faces the potential for a life sentence when he returns for sentencing on March 31. This extreme potential penalty mirrors current crackdowns the place U.S. prosecutors search heavy forfeiture and jail time to discourage crypto-related crimes.
Sadly, Daniel’s ordeal just isn’t an remoted incident. As the worth of digital belongings rises, criminals are more and more focusing on holders within the bodily world. Now we have tracked related escalations globally.
Only in the near past, a Binance worker encountered a France wrench assault, the place criminals tracked a goal to their house to demand funds. The sample is evident: if criminals know you may have crypto, they usually know the place you reside, you turn out to be a goal.
Nonetheless, in Halem’s case, the “inside data” was literal, realizing the door code and the sufferer’s holdings.
Importantly, Halem’s Sentencing shall be watched carefully. A life sentence would ship a large sign that the authorized system is not going to deal with crypto theft evenly, no matter who wears the badge.
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Key Takeaways
Former LAPD officer Eric Halem was convicted of kidnapping and theft for stealing $350K in Bitcoin.
The attackers posed as law enforcement officials and used inside information to entry the sufferer’s residence.
“Wrench assaults” (bodily violence) circumvent digital safety measures like sturdy passwords.
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