Ex-Police Officer Found Guilty of Forcing 17-Year-Old to Hand Over $350,000 in Cryptocurrency in Los Angeles Robbery

Eric Halem A Badge Used For Betrayal In Koreatown

A former Los Angeles police officer who spent 13 years on the force has been convicted of leading a terrifying home invasion to steal a fortune in cryptocurrency.

Eric Halem, 38, stood in court wearing an orange jumpsuit as a jury found him guilty of kidnapping and robbery.

The case centred on a 2024 heist where Halem and three other men leveraged their knowledge of police tactics to corner a 17-year-old trader in his high-rise apartment.

Despite his transition from full-time officer to a luxury car rental entrepreneur, Halem was still serving as a reserve officer when he decided to trade his oath for a digital payday.

How Did A Police Officer Stage A $350,000 Heist?

The execution of the robbery was as brazen as it was calculated.

On the day of the crime, the group arrived at a Koreatown building in high-end vehicles from Halem's own rental fleet, DriveLA, a green Range Rover and an orange Lamborghini Urus.

Dressed in tactical vests that identified them as police, the men bypassed security using an access code provided by a co-conspirator who had previously rented the unit to the victim.

Once inside the 18th-floor apartment, they used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the teenager’s girlfriend before turning their sights on the 17-year-old, known in court only as Daniel.

What Happened During The Confrontation Inside The Apartment?

The victims provided harrowing testimony regarding the moments the "officers" dropped their professional facade.

Daniel told the court he was forced to surrender a hard drive containing $350,000 in bitcoin after the men threatened to kill him.

Deputy District Attorney Jane Brownstone told the jury during her closing argument,

"Instead of protecting, he preyed on the community."

"Instead of serving, he schemed."

The prosecution argued that Halem used his authority as a weapon, subduing the teenager and his partner under the guise of a legitimate search warrant before demanding the digital assets at gunpoint.

Did Digital Evidence Seal The Conviction?

The defence attempted to frame the investigation as "lazy" and "careless," pointing out that the 17-year-old victim admitted on the stand that his crypto wealth came from fraudulent activities.

Halem’s lawyer, Megan Maitia, argued that the use of GPS-tracked rental cars proved the crime was too "dumb" to have been orchestrated by a veteran officer.

However, text messages recovered from Halem’s phone told a different story.

Prosecutors highlighted messages where Halem admitted to monitoring police radio traffic and noted that his accomplices were "talking" to detectives.

In one cryptic exchange, Halem wrote,

"Someone I know fed wise called me."

This suggests he was using his department connections to stay ahead of the law.

Who Were The Accomplices In This Criminal Network?

While Halem awaits his sentencing on 31 March 2026, his three alleged accomplices have yet to face trial.

Among them is 51-year-old Gabby Ben, a man with a history of fraud convictions whom prosecutors claim has ties to Israeli organised crime.

During a previous hearing, Ben reportedly reacted with a shrug and a shake of his head when accused of being affiliated with the "Israeli mafia."

For Halem, the conviction marks a total collapse of a career that once included a role in the robbery-homicide division and side ventures involving remote audition apps and a potential reality TV show about his life.