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Missouri men charged in alleged Bitcoin kidnapping plot
Prosecutors allege the men traveled to Connecticut, staged an attempted abduction, then abandoned the plan after concern about home security cameras.
Three men from Missouri have been charged in an alleged August 2024 plot to kidnap a Bitcoin holder and force a transfer of cryptocurrency, according to a Tuesday press release from the US Attorney’s Office.
The defendants, identified as Sedric Louis, John Davis, and Martel Williams, were allegedly hired to carry out the kidnapping and obtain cryptocurrency transfers to accounts controlled by the organizers. Prosecutors said they traveled from St. Louis to Connecticut, rented vehicles, and obtained air rifles to stake out the victim.
After reportedly staking out the intended target for two days, the men abandoned the plan, according to the release, fearing they would be caught on home security cameras. The DOJ also alleged that shortly afterward a separate crew from Florida arrived to carry out the scheme.
The charges include conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The outlet also cited CertiK data that crypto home invasions were the most common type of physical attack targeting cryptocurrency investors in the first half of 2026, with 20 reported incidents, up from one a year earlier.
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