LAPD Reserve Officer Gets Life Sentence for Bitcoin Heist

Eric Halem, a former Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer, has been sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for kidnapping and robbing a teenager of a hard drive containing approximately $350,000 worth of Bitcoin during a 2024 home invasion in Los Angeles.

The victim, identified only as Daniel, was forced to hand over the device after being threatened by Halem and his alleged co-conspirators.

Halem's sentencing comes as U.S. authorities continue pursuing multiple violent cases involving cryptocurrency holders.