$1 Million Bitcoin Ransom Leads to Brutal Abduction, Prison Time

A chilling Toronto-area kidnapping tied to a $1 million Bitcoin ransom has ended with a 13-year prison sentence for one perpetrator, spotlighting a surge in violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders.

Keyron Moore, 39, was convicted for the 2022 abduction, torture, and sexual assault of A.T., who was seized at gunpoint outside a Thornhill plaza. Alongside a co-accused youth, S.M., Moore forced the victim into a vehicle, drove her to Barrie, and confined her in a garage where she was stripped, beaten, burned, and threatened with a fentanyl-laced syringe.

Throughout the ordeal, her captors demanded $1 million in Bitcoin and other crypto, showing that digital wealth is now a direct magnet for extreme violence.

Detective Renwick described in court how the attackers “kept saying that they wanted money as well as cryptocurrency and Bitcoin,” while Moore brandished a firearm to coerce the victim further, even forcing her to perform sexual acts.

Justice M. Townsend sentenced Moore to 13 years, crediting three years for time served. The punishment includes a lifetime weapons ban, 20 years on the sex offender registry, and a prohibition on contacting S.M., who was convicted in 2024 and awaits sentencing in October.

A harrowing escape and lasting trauma

A.T. eventually managed to flee through a garage door and run to a neighbor’s house for help. In her victim impact statement, she revealed the psychological toll

“I don’t go outside alone. The fear is too overwhelming. I feel like I have a target on my back, like someone is always watching, waiting for the right moment.”

This case highlights the growing trend of violent crypto extortion, echoing so-called “$5 wrench attacks,” where physical threats replace hacking to force victims to surrender digital assets. Security experts warn this is only the “tip of the iceberg” as criminals increasingly see cryptocurrency holders as lucrative targets.

Law enforcement now treats crypto ransom demands with the same gravity as armed robbery or kidnapping, reflecting a new reality: digital wealth carries real-world danger.

Digital assets aren’t abstract—they’re vulnerable

The Moore case underscores a stark truth: cryptocurrency, once considered code on a screen, can become a deadly magnet for greed. Passwords and encryption cannot shield someone from a gun, syringe, or abductor in the wrong hands.

Courts and police are scrambling to keep up, but the broader crypto ecosystem must act decisively. Without stronger measures for physical security, education, and preventive awareness, holding Bitcoin is no longer just an investment—it’s a potential gamble with life-threatening consequences.