Three Tennessee men have been federally indicted over an alleged violent robbery spree that targeted cryptocurrency owners across California and forced one victim to transfer about $6.5 million in crypto at gunpoint.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh and Jayden Rucker were charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted Hobbs Act robbery and attempted kidnapping. Prosecutors said the alleged crimes were carried out in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly traveled from Tennessee to California and posed as delivery workers to gain access or attempt to gain access to victims’ homes. Once inside, prosecutors said they used firearms, duct tape and zip ties to assault, bind and restrain victims while trying to force access to cryptocurrency accounts.
In one alleged incident, a victim was forced at gunpoint to sign into crypto accounts so a co-conspirator could transfer approximately $6.5 million to a wallet controlled by the group. The case turns one of crypto’s most uncomfortable security risks into a federal prosecution: private keys and exchange access can be attacked through physical violence, not only phishing links, malware or smart contract exploits.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian said the defendants, as alleged, “terrorized their victims in the hopes of stealing vast sums of cryptocurrency,” calling the scheme sophisticated, brazen, violent and dangerous. FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said the case involved robbery, kidnapping and the theft of millions in crypto, adding that the crimes put innocent people at risk.
Armstrong and Rucker were arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025, while Chindavanh was arrested in Sunnyvale on December 22, 2025. Chindavanh made his first federal court appearance in San Francisco on April 14, 2026. Armstrong and Rucker made their first appearances on May 11.
All three defendants remain in federal custody. Armstrong and Rucker are scheduled to appear on May 12 for appointment of counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson, while Chindavanh is scheduled for a June 26 status hearing before U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson.
The charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery and attempted kidnapping count. The conspiracy to commit kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case lands as crypto security risks are widening beyond online scams. CryptoAdventure recently covered how AI-driven scams and deepfakes helped drive billions in crypto losses, but the California indictment shows a different attack surface: public wealth signals, home addresses, delivery impersonation, firearms and forced account access.
That physical threat is often called a wrench attack, where criminals bypass technical defenses by coercing the holder directly. Hardware wallets, multisig, custody controls and withdrawal delays can reduce some risk, but they do not remove the danger when criminals identify a target and attempt to force access in person.
The prosecution was investigated by the FBI, San Francisco Police Department, San Jose Police Department, Sunnyvale Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department. The indictment now places the alleged California robbery spree inside a broader shift in crypto crime, where large balances can attract both sophisticated cyberattacks and violent offline targeting. The next court dates will move the case into its procedural phase while investigators continue tracing the wallets, transfers and alleged co-conspirator activity tied to the $6.5 million robbery.
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