Former LAPD cop convicted of $350K crypto theft and kidnapping

CoinTelegraph

by Jesse Coghlan

March 4, 2026

Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Eric Halem was reportedly convicted of handcuffing and threatening to kill a teenager to steal Bitcoin. A former Los Angeles Police Department officer has reportedly been convicted of kidnapping a 17-year-old and stealing $350,000 worth of crypto in a 2024 home invasion. A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Eric Halem guilty of kidnapping and robbery on Monday after a two-week trial, the Los Angeles Times reported. The court was told that Halem and three other men posed as police carrying out a search warrant on an apartment rented by the teenager, who reportedly had earned a significant amount of crypto. Read more

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Originally published on CoinTelegraph on 3/4/2026