US authorities have unsealed an indictment charging three men accused of carrying out a violent robbery campaign targeting cryptocurrency holders and stealing at least $6.5 million.
In a statement released Monday, the Justice Department said a federal grand jury charged Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker with allegedly plotting to kidnap and rob four victims in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas for access to their crypto assets.
Prosecutors claim the suspects disguised themselves as delivery drivers to gain entry into victims’ homes before using threats and intimidation to force them to hand over crypto seed phrases.
Physical attacks against crypto holders — commonly referred to as “wrench attacks” — have risen worldwide since 2025. In April, French authorities charged 88 individuals in connection with similar attacks targeting crypto owners in the country.
According to prosecutors, the trio allegedly targeted at least four victims between Nov. 22 and Dec. 31. Court documents filed in federal court in San Francisco claim one victim was coerced into transferring $6.5 million in cryptocurrency to a wallet allegedly controlled by the group.
“These defendants allegedly terrorized victims in an effort to steal massive amounts of cryptocurrency,” said Craig Missakian, the US Attorney for the Northern District of California, in a statement released Monday. “Authorities believe the operation was not only highly organized, but also bold, violent, and extremely dangerous.”
The three suspects were arrested in December of last year and have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted robbery, and attempted kidnapping.
Armstrong and Rucker are expected to appear in court on Tuesday, while Chindavanh’s court appearance is scheduled for June 26.
Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs warned in a report published last May that wrench attacks are becoming more common due to how easily criminals can obtain personal information online, combined with the perceived anonymity of cryptocurrency transactions and the highly visible displays of wealth often associated with the crypto industry.
