A former Los Angeles police officer was convicted of kidnapping and robbery for his involvement in a case of violent coercion against cryptocurrency holders.

A former Los Angeles police officer, Eric Hallem, was convicted of kidnapping and robbery by a jury in connection with a case involving violence and coercion against a cryptocurrency holder. The incident occurred in 2024 in an apartment in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Hallem and an accomplice, posing as law enforcement officers, broke into the apartment, held a 17-year-old cryptocurrency holder at gunpoint, and stole a hard drive containing private keys to approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. (Decrypt)