Three charged in California wrench attacks that seized $6.5M
Three men were indicted for allegedly posing as delivery drivers in Nov.–Dec. California attacks that coerced victims into revealing crypto seed phrases and led to $6.5M stolen.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Monday charging Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh and Jayden Rucker with a series of robberies and kidnapping plots that targeted cryptocurrency owners in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas between Nov. 22 and Dec. 31. Authorities say one victim was forced to transfer about $6.5 million in digital currency to a wallet controlled by the suspects.
The indictment alleges the three men posed as delivery drivers to gain entry to homes and used threats and forced entry to compel victims to disclose seed phrases, the private recovery phrases that grant access to cryptocurrency wallets. Prosecutors say the group identified at least four targets and planned to kidnap and rob those owners.
All three were arrested in December. The charges include conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted robbery and attempted kidnapping. Court records show Armstrong and Rucker are scheduled to appear in court this week; Chindavanh’s initial appearance is set for June 26.
Craig Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, described the scheme as “sophisticated, brazen, violent, and dangerous.” Federal agents in San Francisco are leading the investigation.
Federal authorities described the incidents as “wrench attacks,” a form of robbery in which perpetrators use threats or physical force to force victims to surrender access to digital assets. Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reported an increase in such attacks beginning in 2025, citing factors including the availability of personal data online, the perceived anonymity of crypto transactions and visible displays of wealth among some crypto holders.
French authorities charged dozens of people earlier this year in connection with physical-coercion attacks targeting cryptocurrency owners. Prosecutors in the U.S. did not provide a full accounting of recovered funds in the unsealed indictment.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. attorneys in San Francisco with FBI investigators. If convicted on the federal counts, the defendants face potential penalties under federal law.
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