On March 3rd, it was reported that former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem was convicted of kidnapping and robbing a 17-year-old Bitcoin holder. Court documents show that in 2024, Halem, along with three accomplices, disguised themselves as police officers and broke into the victim’s high-rise apartment in Koreatown, stealing a hard drive containing approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. Prosecutors stated that the teenager handed over the hard drive after being threatened, and his girlfriend was also controlled during the incident.
Testimony during the trial revealed that Halem and his accomplices wore vests with police insignia, took the elevator to the 18th floor, and used a password provided by an accomplice to access the apartment. They used handcuffs issued by the Los Angeles Police Department to restrain the victim and his girlfriend, demanding the hard drive. Although the teenager admitted to acquiring cryptocurrency through fraud, this did not affect the robbery charges.
Halem served 13 years with the Los Angeles Police Department before leaving in 2022. At the time of the incident, he was still a reserve officer, operating DriveLA car rental, developing apps for actors, and planning to produce a reality show. The court is scheduled to sentence him on March 31. Other defendants have not yet gone to trial, and prosecutors stated that one of them is linked to the so-called “Israeli Mafia.”
Experts point out that this case highlights the risk of cryptocurrencies becoming targets in real-world crimes and serves as a reminder for investors to securely store digital assets to prevent potential robberies and scams.
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