Three Tennessee Men Indicted in California Crypto Heists
Three Tennessee men were federally indicted for allegedly posing as delivery workers in California and forcing victims at gunpoint to transfer millions in cryptocurrency.
The Department of Justice said a federal grand jury indicted Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh and Jayden Rucker on charges alleging they traveled from Tennessee to California, posed as delivery workers and forced residents at gunpoint to transfer cryptocurrency. The incidents occurred in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Los Angeles.
Prosecutors allege the men used firearms, duct tape and zip ties to bind and restrain occupants and to compel disclosure of crypto account information. In a November incident in San Francisco’s Mission Dolores neighborhood, a victim expecting a package was approached by a person carrying a white box, pistol-whipped, bound with duct tape and forced to transfer about $10 million in Bitcoin and $3 million in Ethereum. Another episode cited in the indictment involved roughly $6.5 million taken at gunpoint.
Armstrong and Rucker were arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025. Chindavanh was arrested in Sunnyvale on December 22, 2025. The federal indictment charges the three with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, as well as counts of robbery and attempted kidnapping. Robbery and attempted kidnapping carry maximum prison terms of up to 20 years; conspiracy to commit kidnapping carries a potential life sentence. Fines of $250,000 are listed for each count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian described the alleged plot as “brazen, violent, and dangerous.” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo called the operation a “calculated scheme,” adding the indictments underscore the FBI’s “unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from violent and organized criminal activity.”
Federal officials said the suspects targeted people they believed held large amounts of digital currency and moved assets quickly, citing the irreversible nature of blockchain transfers. Blockchain security firm CertiK reported 72 verified “wrench-attack” incidents in 2025, a 75% increase from 2024. Authorities in France charged 88 people in a series of crypto-related kidnappings.
The Justice Department will present evidence in federal court to support the charges, which allege criminal conspiracies that affected interstate commerce.
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