A Chicago family and her grandmother were kidnapped for five days in October and forced to transfer millions to Cryptocurrency before release.
Six people have been accused of crime after alleged stealing $ 15 million in Cryptocurrency, including Zehuan Wei, Fan Zhang, Huzing Yan, Shenganan Jiang, Shiakiang Lian, and these Cao Informed On 12 February.
According to the FBI, the kidnapping took place at the Chicago Townhouse when a suspect knocked on the door, pretending to damage the victim’s garage door. When the victim replied, the armed people forced their way to go in and took the family and her grandmother to the gun.
The victims were taken to an AirBNB in a van in the forest park, where they were held for one night before going to another house. The kidnappers demanded ransom payment in bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrency, threatening to kill them if they refused. The kidnappers also gained access to the crypto accounts of the victims and made transactions themselves.
One of the victims was hit on the head with guns, although he later believed that it could be fake. He also managed to contact his father through Vachat, warning him to the situation.
Five days later in captivity, the kidnappers released the victims on 1 November. In theft of $ 15 million, the authorities later determined that it was unaware of $ 9 million.
FBI agents gave simultaneous evidence from surveillance footage, rental vehicles and forensic analysis. Security cameras at One Park AirBNB caught the kidnappers who arrived in a white van and making phone calls. Investigators matched this footage with suspects using the US customs and border security records and the state’s license issued by the state.
At least two victims were able to identify some suspects in a photo lineup.
Wei was the first suspect to be caught. US customs and border security arrested him on 17 January, while he tried to re -enter the country from Mexico in the Ottoy Messa Border Crossing in California.
The FBI later determined that Jiang and the vehicle boarded a flight from Tijuana, Mexico, on January 19, followed by Lian the next day. Officials believe that after the arrest of Wei, the remaining some suspects fled to China.
On 13 December, all six people were formally accused of kidnapping.
Recently crypto kidnapping
As the cryptocurrency becomes the mainstream, they are also becoming the main goals for crime. Last month, the co-founder of Cryptocurrency Hardware Wallet Manufacturer David Belland was abducted and held for ransom.
In November, Wonderfi CEO Dean Schoka was kidnapped in Toronto and released after a ransom of $ 1 million. According to reports, the suspects believed that the victim organized a significant amount of bitcoin, however, was not the case.
