A former Los Angeles Police Department officer was convicted of kidnapping a 17-year-old and stealing $350,000 in cryptocurrency during a 2024 home invasion.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Eric Halem guilty of kidnapping and robbery after a two-week trial, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Prosecutors said Halem and three other men posed as police executing a search warrant at an apartment rented by the teenager, who had earned a substantial amount of crypto. The teen, who testified under his first name, Daniel, said he surrendered a hard drive containing Bitcoin after Halem and the others threatened to kill him.
The case is part of a wider rise in so-called “wrench attacks,” where criminals use threats or violence to force crypto holders to hand over assets. Crypto security firm CertiK reported 72 such attacks worldwide in 2025, a 75% increase from 2024.
Men allegedly broke into apartment, cuffed victim for crypto
According to testimony, Halem and the alleged co-conspirators wore vests identifying them as police and entered the apartment using an access code obtained from a conspirator who had rented the unit. The men restrained the teenager’s girlfriend with LAPD-issued handcuffs, handcuffed the 17-year-old, and threatened to shoot him unless he handed over the hard drive containing his crypto.
Halem served 13 years with the LAPD and left the force in 2022 but remained a reserve officer at the time of the robbery. He also ran side businesses, including a luxury car rental company and an app for remote actor auditions.
Halem’s attorney, Megan Maitia, argued in closing that detectives failed to corroborate the teenager’s account and noted the teen had admitted in testimony to acquiring his crypto through fraud. Maitia said police accepted his robbery claim at face value. Halem did not testify.
Halem is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31. His co-defendants, one of whom is allegedly linked to Israeli organized crime, have not yet stood trial and have pleaded not guilty.
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