tl;dr
Three teenagers are accused of kidnapping a wealthy investor near Las Vegas, holding him at gunpoint, and stealing $4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs. Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16 from Florida, face charges of robbery, kidnapping, and extortion and will be tried as adults. A third ac...
Three teenagers are charged with kidnapping a wealthy investor near Las Vegas and stealing $4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs.
Two suspects, both 16, face robbery, kidnapping, and extortion charges and will be tried as adults; a third suspect remains at large.
The victim was threatened at gunpoint, forced to give passwords, and abandoned in the desert, after which he walked miles to safety.
Police tracked the suspects through vehicle movement from Florida to Nevada; legal proceedings are ongoing.
Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16 from Florida, are accused of kidnapping and robbing the victim after he attended a cryptocurrency event in downtown Las Vegas.
The suspects forced the victim into their vehicle, held him at gunpoint, and demanded access to his financial accounts.
They drove him about an hour away to White Hills, Arizona, and left him in the desert.
The victim walked five miles to a gas station to seek help.
Police investigation traced the suspects’ travel from Florida to Nevada by tracking vehicle sightings near the crime scene.
A juvenile court judge ruled Ashraf and Fletcher will be tried as adults.
The third accomplice is reportedly no longer in the U.S.
Charges include robbery, kidnapping, and extortion.
Court proceedings for the two apprehended suspects are ongoing.