{"id":7190,"date":"2026-03-04T10:46:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T10:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190"},"modified":"2026-03-04T10:46:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T10:46:40","slug":"former-lapd-officer-convicted-in-350k-crypto-wrench-attack-home-invasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190","title":{"rendered":"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
    \n
  • A Los Angeles jury convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery on March 2.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Halem and his accomplices posed as police officers to enter the victim\u2019s high-rise apartment, used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the victims, and stole a hard drive containing Bitcoin private keys.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Physical attacks on cryptocurrency holders surged 75% in 2025 with confirmed losses exceeding US$40.9 million (AU$62 million), according to blockchain security firm CertiK.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    A Los Angeles jury on March 2 convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery after prosecutors said he led an armed crew that stole US$350,000 (AU$500K) in Bitcoin (BTC) from a 17-year-old\u2019s 18th-floor Koreatown apartment.<\/p>\n

    Prosecutors said Eric Halem, 38, and others dressed in police-style gear, entered an 18th-floor Koreatown apartment in the early hours of Dec. 28, 2024, and used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the victim\u2019s girlfriend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    They then forced the victim, identified in court as Daniel, to hand over a hard drive holding Bitcoin private keys, and took cash and jewellery before leaving.<\/p>\n

    Read more: SpaceX\u2019s $545M Bitcoin Bet Set for Spotlight in Record IPO<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Physical Crypto Attacks On The Rise<\/h2>\n

    The jury returned guilty verdicts on kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery after less than a day of deliberations. The case relied heavily on GPS location records tied to vehicles connected to Halem\u2019s luxury car rental business and messages prosecutors said showed him tracking police radio traffic after the theft.<\/p>\n

    On the stand, Daniel said the group threatened him with a gun. During cross-examination, he admitted he had obtained the Bitcoin through fraud, which prosecutors argued did not reduce the seriousness of the robbery.<\/p>\n

    Halem did not testify and the defense called no witnesses, while his lawyer argued investigators cherry-picked messages and failed to properly verify Daniel\u2019s version of events.<\/p>\n

    Halem left the LAPD in 2022 and was serving as a reserve officer at the time, according to prosecutors. He was also under investigation over an alleged staged Bentley crash for insurance fraud when he was arrested in the Bitcoin case.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Sentencing is set for March 31, and he faces up to life in state prison.<\/p>\n

    The conviction comes as physical coercion cases targeting crypto holders rise. CertiK said confirmed \u201cwrench attacks\u201d climbed 75% in 2025, with losses above US$40.9 million (AU$58 million).<\/p>\n

    Read more: Michael Saylor\u2019s Strategy Boosts \u2018Stretch\u2019 Yield to 11.5% Amid Funding Shift<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Crypto Attack,Cryptocurrency,Cryptocurrency Law#LAPD #Officer #Convicted #350K #Crypto #Wrench #Attack #Home #Invasion1772621200<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A Los Angeles jury convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery on March 2. Halem and his accomplices posed as police officers to enter the victim\u2019s high-rise apartment, used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the victims, and stole a hard drive containing Bitcoin private keys. Physical attacks on cryptocurrency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3037,1280,3036,62,1085,2339,3034,3035,2583],"class_list":{"0":"post-7190","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bitcoin","8":"tag-350k","9":"tag-attack","10":"tag-convicted","11":"tag-crypto","12":"tag-home","13":"tag-invasion","14":"tag-lapd","15":"tag-officer","16":"tag-wrench"},"yoast_head":"\nFormer LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Los Angeles jury convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery on March 2. Halem and his accomplices posed as police officers to enter the victim\u2019s high-rise apartment, used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the victims, and stole a hard drive containing Bitcoin private keys. Physical attacks on cryptocurrency\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-04T10:46:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190\",\"name\":\"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-04T10:46:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1826},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\",\"name\":\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"description\":\"Latest Crypto & Bitcoin News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf\",\"name\":\"\u884c\u653f\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"\u884c\u653f\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/demo3.aiwalls.com\/coinbase\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion","og_description":"A Los Angeles jury convicted former LAPD officer Eric Halem of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion robbery on March 2. Halem and his accomplices posed as police officers to enter the victim\u2019s high-rise apartment, used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the victims, and stole a hard drive containing Bitcoin private keys. Physical attacks on cryptocurrency","og_url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190","og_site_name":"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","article_published_time":"2026-03-04T10:46:40+00:00","author":"\u884c\u653f","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"\u884c\u653f","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190","name":"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-03-04T10:46:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crypto-attack-jail.jpeg","width":1920,"height":1826},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7190#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Former LAPD Officer Convicted in $350K Crypto \u2018Wrench Attack\u2019 Home Invasion"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/","name":"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","description":"Latest Crypto & Bitcoin News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf","name":"\u884c\u653f","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"\u884c\u653f"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/demo3.aiwalls.com\/coinbase"],"url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}