LAPD Officer Sentenced to Life for Bitcoin Robbery
A former LAPD officer has been sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for his role in a bitcoin robbery. Eric Halem, 38, was convicted of kidnapping and robbery after forcing his way into a high-rise Koreatown apartment on December 28, 2024, along with three co-conspirators.
The group used LAPD-issued handcuffs to restrain the 17-year-old victim, identified as Daniel, and his girlfriend. Halem and his co-defendants threatened to kill Daniel unless he handed over a hard drive containing bitcoin, which he ultimately did.
Halem's new attorneys sought a retrial ahead of sentencing, but Judge Mildred Escobedo rejected the motion. She stated that the evidence showed Halem acted out of 'sheer and utter greed' and that there could have been no other conclusion.