Three Indicted Over ‘Brazen’ Crypto Wrench Attack Spree in California
Three men from Tennessee—Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker—have been federally indicted on robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges involving a series of violent cryptocurrency thefts in California. Posing as delivery workers, they targeted victims in several cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, using firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to coerce access to digital assets. In one case, a victim was forced at gunpoint to transfer $10 million in Bitcoin and $3 million in Ethereum; another victim lost $6.5 million under threat. The accused were arrested in December 2025. The charges carry penalties up to life imprisonment and $250,000 fines per conspiracy count. Authorities described the crimes as highly sophisticated and violent. These incidents reflect a growing global trend of physical attacks—known as “wrench attacks”—against cryptocurrency holders, with 72 such cases worldwide in 2025, marking a 75% increase. Law enforcement in multiple countries is intensifying efforts to combat these attacks amid high-profile cases targeting crypto industry figures and their families.
