- Florida teens face adult criminal charges for $4M crypto & NFT abduction at gunpoint in Vegas.
- Suspects Belal Ashraf, Austin Fletcher allegedly drove victim to Arizona desert, stole assets.
- Police used digital trail, vehicle data to track teens linked to the $4M digital asset theft.
Three Florida teenagers are facing serious criminal charges after allegedly abducting a man in Las Vegas at gunpoint and stealing $4M in digital assets. Authorities claim the suspects drove the victim to a remote desert in Arizona. There, they reportedly forced him to surrender his cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) under threats of violence.
The incident occurred in November when the victim, who had just hosted a cryptocurrency-related event in Downtown Las Vegas, returned to his apartment complex. According to police documents, the suspects approached him as he parked his vehicle and forced him into the back seat of their car at gunpoint.
The primary suspects were identified as Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16 at the time, from Pasco County, Florida. A juvenile court judge has since certified Ashraf and Fletcher to be tried as adults. A third juvenile suspect was also involved but is reportedly no longer in the United States, prosecutors said during recent court proceedings.
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Victim Blindfolded, Threatened, and Driven Across State Lines to Arizona Desert
Investigators said the victim was blindfolded with a towel and warned not to look at the suspects. He was instructed that his father’s life was at risk if he failed to cooperate. The suspects reportedly demanded passwords to the victim’s financial accounts during the abduction, while another unidentified individual was heard giving instructions through a speakerphone.
The trio is accused of transporting the victim across the Nevada state line to White Hills, Arizona, approximately 70 miles from Las Vegas. The victim later walked five miles through the desert to reach a gas station, where he contacted a friend for help.
Digital Trail and Prior Behavior Lead to Teens’ Arrests
Police began tracking the suspects using vehicle location data. Investigators discovered a vehicle that had traveled from Florida to Nevada, stopping at several locations tied to the victim. A separate traffic stop in Mississippi uncovered a firearm linked to one of the suspects via social media photos.
Related: South Korea’s FSS Gets Tough on Crypto Crime
Authorities also noted that the Florida teens had a history of confrontational behavior in their home state. One report from the previous summer described an incident at a high school involving all three teens. Ashraf was reportedly seen shoulder-checking a school resource officer and shouting at an assistant principal.
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