Former LAPD officer convicted of stealing $350,000

A former Los Angeles Police Department officer has reportedly been convicted of kidnapping a 17-year-old boy and stealing $350,000 worth of crypto in a 2024 home invasion.

Los Angeles County Superior Court found Eric Halem guilty Monday of kidnapping and robbery after a two-week trial, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The court was told that Halem and three other men, posing as police, were searching the teenager’s rented accommodation, where they had reportedly obtained a large amount of crypto.

Prosecutors said the teenager, who testified as Daniel, gave up a hard drive containing Bitcoin (BTC) after Halem and the other men threatened to kill him.

The case is the latest in a global trend of so-called “key attacks,” in which criminals use threats or actual violence against crypto holders to steal their assets. Crypto security firm CertiK reported last month that there will be 72 such attacks worldwide in 2025, a 75% increase from 2024.

The men allegedly broke into the apartment and tied up the crypto victim

According to reports, Halem and three alleged co-defendants, who were posing as police, gained access to the teenager’s apartment by entering an access code from a conspiracy that rented the apartment.

The men then restrained the teenage boyfriend in LAPD-issued handcuffs, shackled him and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t hand over a hard drive containing his crypto, according to the victim’s testimony.

Halem served 13 years with the LAPD and left in 2022, but was still serving as a reserve officer in the department at the time of the robbery. He also had side businesses, including a luxury car rental company and an app that allowed actors to audition remotely.

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Halem’s attorney, Megan Maithia, argued in her closing arguments that detectives did not corroborate the story of the 17-year-old victim, who she said admitted in testimony to obtaining his crypto through fraud.