FBI Thwarts Kidnapping of Jeweler for $2 Million in Cryptocurrency
Date: 2025-01-20 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: IN WORLD
According to court documents, the investigation was sparked by information from an anonymous source who said a group of criminals were planning to attack an employee at the Seybold Building, a building known for its concentration of jewelry stores.
The group was led by a man known as Jack, who the informant said called his accomplices “thugs.” They learned that the victim owned significant cryptocurrency assets and intended to exchange them for cash on January 13. The plan was to kidnap the victim and take the funds by force.
Jack instructed his accomplices to avoid causing serious harm to the victim, allowing only “one strong blow to the head.” However, they were going to arm themselves with assault rifles and MAC-10 submachine guns, which indicated that they were serious about their intentions.
On the day the crime was supposed to take place, the FBI arrested four suspects. Evan Puckett, Trevon Anthony Neal, Zachary Briggs, and Aaron Hammond were charged with conspiracy and attempted kidnapping.
The court remanded the defendants in custody without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 21 in Miami.
Earlier, in December 2024, an Australian woman was involved in a case involving the kidnapping of a member of the Saudi royal family. She demanded $40,000 in bitcoins as ransom.
