Ex-LAPD Officer Sentenced to Life for Bitcoin Heist
A former Los Angeles police officer has been sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for his role in a high-profile Bitcoin robbery. Eric Halem, 38, was convicted of kidnapping and robbery after a two-week trial. The crime took place on December 28, 2024, when Halem and three other men entered an apartment in Koreatown, handcuffed the victims, and stole $350,000 worth of Bitcoin.
Halem's crew arrived at the scene in a Range Rover and a Lamborghini Urus, wearing vests that identified them as police. They used an access code obtained from a conspirator who had rented the unit to gain entry.
The victims, including a 17-year-old who had built his Bitcoin holdings by scamming others, testified at trial. Halem's defense team argued that their client was not entirely responsible for the crime, but Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo rejected this claim, saying that the evidence showed a man willing to use violence 'out of sheer and utter greed.'