Ex-LAPD Officer Gets Life Plus 15 Years Over $350K Bitcoin Robbery
Former Los Angeles police officer Eric Halem was sentenced to life plus 15 years in state prison for a Koreatown home invasion that targeted a teenager’s cryptocurrency. A jury convicted him in March of kidnapping and robbery. Prosecutors said Halem and three others entered an apartment before dawn in police-style vests, handcuffed two victims, transferred about $350,000 in Bitcoin, and stole cash and jewelry. Halem had left the LAPD about two years earlier but was still a reserve officer. The judge said he acted with “sheer and utter greed” and rejected a new-trial request. Halem becomes eligible for parole after seven years. Three co-defendants have pleaded not guilty and await trial. The case reflects a broader rise in violent crypto robberies, including attacks where suspects impersonate police.
