Two Floridian 16-year-olds face 22 felony counts after $4 million crypto kidnapping, theft

Two teenagers face a combined 22 felony charges after allegedly abducting a man in Las Vegas in November, driving him an hour to a "remote desert," and stealing $4 million worth of cryptocurrency and NFTs from him.

A third teenager, who also faces charges, is no longer believed to be in the United States, according to a prosecutor. The case was first reported by Las Vegas local news 8newsnow. 

Two 16-year-olds, both from Pasco County, Florida, are being tried as adults in the case and face 11 felony charges each. The three teens allegedly kidnapped a man at gunpoint after the man had hosted a crypto-related business event in Downtown Las Vegas, drove him an hour across the Arizona border to a "remote desert," and demanded he turn over his passwords to his financial accounts. 

The teenagers may have been helped by a person on speakerphone, the report said. The victim reportedly had to walk five miles alone in the desert until reaching a gas station and calling a friend to pick him up. 

One of the teens retained a high-profile defense attorney, Ross C. Goodman, Las Vegas court records show, while the other enlisted a public defender. Goodman's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Uptick in violent crypto-related crime

The incident is the latest in an apparent uptick in violent crime targeting the crypto-wealthy. In January, criminals kidnapped the co-founder of Ledger from his home in France and mutilated his hand while attempting to ransom him for a large sum of cryptocurrency. Last weekend, also in France, kidnappers demanded €5 million for the release of a crypto millionaire's father, before being apprehended and arrested by police. 

Sometimes faulty information leads to threats, as well. A Canadian man was reportedly forced into hiding after criminals targeted him for a kidnapping attempt, believing he possessed billions of dollars worth of bitcoin. He said his holdings valued only around $100,000.  

Twitch streamer Amouranth said she defended herself from a home invasion in March after intruders demanded access to her crypto. Other alleged attacks have occurred in recent weeks in the Philippines and Pakistan.