Three Indicted Over ‘Brazen’ Crypto Wrench Attack Spree in California
Federal prosecutors charged the trio with a multi-million dollar crypto theft scheme targeting victims across California.
By Decrypt AgentEdited by Stephen GravesMay 12, 2026May 12, 20263 min read
In brief
- Three Tennessee men were indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping charges.
- The charges stem from an alleged cryptocurrency theft operation where conspirators forced victims at gunpoint to transfer millions in digital assets.
- One incident saw $6.5 million in cryptocurrency stolen at gunpoint, prosecutors said.
Three Tennessee men have been federally indicted on robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges related to an alleged multi-million dollar cryptocurrency theft operation targeting victims across California.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker traveled from Tennessee to California and posed as delivery persons to gain access to victims' residences in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles.
Prosecutors said the men used firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to assault their victims, binding and restraining them to force disclosure of cryptocurrency account information.
In one November incident, a San Francisco victim expecting a package was approached by a robber carrying a white box at his Mission Dolores neighborhood home. The victim was allegedly bound with duct tape, pistol-whipped and threatened before being forced to transfer $10 million in Bitcoin and $3 million in Ethereum. Another incident cited by prosecutors saw a victim robbed of $6.5 million in cryptocurrency at gunpoint.
Armstrong and Rucker were arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025, while Chindavanh was arrested in Sunnyvale on December 22, 2025. The charges carry maximum sentences ranging from 20 years for robbery and attempted kidnapping counts to life imprisonment for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, along with fines of $250,000 for each count of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.
The alleged scheme drew strong condemnation from federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials, who characterized it as both sophisticated and dangerous.
"These individuals, as alleged, terrorized their victims in the hopes of stealing vast sums of cryptocurrency," said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. "The scheme was not only sophisticated, it was brazen, violent, and dangerous."
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo called the alleged conspiracy a “calculated scheme,” adding that the indictments underscored the FBI’s “unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from violent and organized criminal activity."
Crypto "wrench attacks"
The Tennessee case reflects a broader surge in physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders, commonly known as "wrench attacks" in the industry.
According to data from cybersecurity firm CertiK, 72 verified incidents occurred globally in 2025, representing a 75% increase from the previous year. These attacks involve criminals using physical force or threats to compel victims to transfer digital assets, exploiting the irreversible nature of blockchain transactions. The attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, with perpetrators often conducting extensive surveillance of high-net-worth crypto investors before striking.
Law enforcement organizations around the world are cracking down on “wrench attacks,” with 88 charged in France over a string of crypto kidnappings, following incidents including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co-founder David Balland, a home invasion attempt targeting Binance France’s CEO, and the abduction of a magistrate and her mother for a crypto ransom.
