A former officer of the Los Angeles Police Department has been convicted of kidnapping and theft after breaking into an apartment in 2024 to steal $350,000 in cryptocurrency. A jury at Los Angeles County Superior Court found Eric Halem guilty after a two-week trial, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Prosecutors said Halem, along with three others, impersonated police officers, wearing shirts labeled “police” and using access codes to enter an apartment rented by a 17-year-old. The group is accused of handcuffing the victim and his girlfriend, threatening to shoot if they did not surrender a hard drive containing Bitcoin.
The case is considered part of a global wave of “wrench attack” crimes targeting cryptocurrency investors. According to CertiK, 72 similar incidents were recorded in 2025, a 75% increase from the previous year. Halem is expected to be sentenced on March 31, while his accomplices await trial.
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