According to BlockBeats, on December 16, Decrypt reported that 24-year-old Catherine Colivas, with the help of three accomplices, kidnapped a member of the Saudi royal family and threatened to cut off his finger to force him to pay $40,000 in Bitcoin. Despite the offender pleading guilty, she was not imprisoned.
Catherine Colivas faces a maximum sentence of 25 years at a hearing in Victoria, Australia. She pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping, extortion, reckless injury, theft, and firearms offenses. However, she only received a community correction order—equivalent to community service in Australia.
Colivas matched with a member of the Saudi royal family on a dating app, went out for drinks and dinner. Then, the royal family member took Colivas home. As the royal family member accompanied Colivas to the door, he was ambushed by three men, including Colivas's boyfriend.
The victim was subsequently bound with cables, unable to leave, and was intimidated. As he was a cryptocurrency trader, the victim provided Bitcoin and had to call a friend to complete a transfer of $40,000. Afterwards, his keys were stolen, and the criminals also raided his home. Court documents show they stole clothing, a PlayStation 5, and several iPhones.
The victim was subsequently released and immediately went to the police to report the incident, and afterward spent the night in the hospital due to injuries to his head and wrist.
