Three Tennessee men have been indicted on federal charges for a series of violent home invasions targeting cryptocurrency holders in California. Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker allegedly posed as delivery drivers to gain entry to victims' homes in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say the men used firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to restrain victims and force them to transfer digital assets. In one incident, a San Francisco victim was bound, pistol-whipped, and forced to transfer $10 million in Bitcoin and $3 million in Ethereum. Another victim lost $6.5 million in cryptocurrency at gunpoint.
Armstrong and Rucker were arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025. Chindavanh was arrested in Sunnyvale on December 22, 2025. Charges carry sentences from 20 years to life in prison, plus fines up to $250,000 per count.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo called the alleged conspiracy a “calculated scheme.” This case highlights a broader surge in physical attacks on crypto holders, known as “wrench attacks.” Data from CertiK shows 72 verified incidents globally in 2025, a 75% increase from the previous year.