Ex-LAPD Officer Sentenced to Life Plus 15 Years for $350K Bitcoin Heist
A former Los Angeles police officer has been sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 15 years for his role in a $350,000 Bitcoin robbery. Eric Halem, 38, was found guilty of kidnapping and robbery after a two-week trial. The crime took place on December 28, 2024, when Halem and three other men entered the victim's apartment in Koreatown using an access code obtained from a conspirator who had rented it.
The men arrived in a Range Rover and a Lamborghini Urus registered to Halem's car rental business. They wore vests identifying them as police and let themselves in, handcuffing two victims before moving funds out of their cryptocurrency account and taking cash and jewelry.
Prosecutors said the evidence showed that Halem was motivated by 'sheer and utter greed.' The victim had built his holdings partly by scamming others, but Escobedo said this did not excuse the crime. The judge rejected Halem's bid for a new trial before imposing concurrent life terms.