A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to community service after being
found guilty of involvement in a cryptocurrency theft in Scotland.
John Ross Rennie was convicted of aiding and abetting a home invasion
in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, during which Bitcoin valued at
approximately £110,000 was stolen.
The incident occurred in March 2020 when Rennie and his accomplices
entered a home and threatened the victim with a machete. They forced
the victim to transfer the Bitcoin to a designated wallet.
Rennie, while not directly involved in the physical assault, was
identified as the technical mastermind behind the operation,
providing guidance on the cryptocurrency transactions.
As a result of his involvement, Rennie was sentenced to 150 hours of community
service. Additionally, authorities seized 23.5 Bitcoin
from his possession. The case marked a significant milestone in
Scotland as the first instance of stolen cryptocurrency being traced
and recovered.
The stolen Bitcoin was subsequently converted into cash, with the
proceeds amounting to approximately £110,000. The incident
highlighted a growing trend of criminals targeting cryptocurrency
holdings through violent home invasions.
In a separate but related case, another home invasion
occurred in the same area, involving the assault of a female occupant
with a Toblerone chocolate bar. The perpetrators, who were believed
to be part of the same criminal group, threatened the victim and
demanded access to her cryptocurrency.
The use of violent tactics to obtain cryptocurrency has become
increasingly prevalent. In July 2023, a gang led by Remy Ra St. Felix
was responsible for a series of brutal home invasions targeting
victims in the United States. The gang employed extreme methods of
violence and intimidation to coerce their victims into surrendering
their crypto assets.
How can Crypto owners protect themselves from these types of physical
threats?
#Scotland #cryptocrime #CryptoSafetyMatters
