Seven U.K. individuals sentenced to 76 years in crypto crime spree

A Manchester U.K. court has sentenced seven individuals to a combined 76 years in prison for kidnapping, assault, and stealing £100,000 in cryptocurrency from a single victim.

The criminals, who carried out a series of violent actions against a Manchester resident, received varying prison terms for their repeated offenses.

According to the Warrington Guardian, the gang began targeting the victim in January 2023. In the first incident, Scott Armstrong, one of the seven, threatened the victim at his home and successfully extorted an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency.

A month later, another member, David Povey, arrived armed with a weapon and demanded more digital assets. The victim complied, hoping to end the ordeal, but the attacks continued.

Over time, the crimes escalated from intimidation to full-blown kidnappings and torture. In one instance, two individuals, Gary Edwards and Kane Godiff, abducted the victim, transported him to a separate location, tied him up, and threatened to kill him if he did not surrender more cryptocurrency.

The situation reached its peak on November 30, 2023, when Edwards kidnapped the victim again and made further threats on his life. This time, an anonymous caller, likely a witness, tipped off the police on December 2.

Upon arrival, the police noted that one Karl Johnson tried to escape the scene. Law enforcement found the victim restrained, with multiple burn marks and injuries from several weapons. Police also found a gun, live rounds, ropes, machetes, and knives on the premises. “Can you take me with you?” the victim reportedly told police when he was rescued.

The criminals stole a total of £100,000 ($124,000) in cryptocurrency. However, it remains unclear which specific digital assets were taken or whether the attackers attempted to launder the funds to conceal their crimes.