Seven UK Gang Members Jailed for Kidnapping and Torturing Crypto Investor

Seven members of a UK gang have been sentenced to prolonged jail phrases for kidnapping, torturing, and extorting a cryptocurrency investor.

The group focused their sufferer over a number of months, forcing him to switch roughly £100,000 ($124,152) in crypto earlier than regulation enforcement intervened.

The ordeal started in January 2023 when the sufferer was first confronted at his house by a person demanding cryptocurrency.

Gang Members Escalated Threats Even After Receiving Funds

Fearing for his security, he complied and transferred funds to gang member Scott Armstrong. Nonetheless, the harassment didn’t finish there.

Later that month, gang members David Povey and one other confederate escalated their threats.

Armed with a knife, they pressured the sufferer at hand over extra funds. Regardless of complying, he continued to be a goal.

By October 2023, the gang’s assaults intensified. One of many members, Gary Edwards, lured the sufferer to a flat, the place he was tied up, overwhelmed, and locked in a cabinet in a single day.

When he did not make a right away cost, one other gang member, Kane Godiff, threatened to kill him.

The sufferer endured hours of violence earlier than lastly being launched, solely after the attackers acquired their demanded quantity.

A couple of days later, the sufferer was kidnapped as soon as once more. This time, he was taken to a home, had a bag positioned over his head, and was subjected to additional threats and violence.

The scenario reached a breaking level on November 30, 2023, when Edwards confronted him at a pal’s home.

The sufferer was pressured right into a van, had his head coated, and was transported to one more location.

The sufferer’s struggling got here to an finish on December 2, 2023, when police acquired an nameless tip concerning his welfare.

Officers arrived on the scene and noticed gang member Karl Johnson making an attempt to flee. Inside the home, they discovered the terrified sufferer, who instantly pleaded with them, “Can you are taking me with you?”

He had seen accidents, together with burn marks on his hand and bruises throughout his physique, in addition to wounds from being overwhelmed with weapons.

The authorities additionally found a disturbing cache of weapons, together with a gun, ammunition, machetes, knives, a baseball bat, ropes, and cable ties used to restrain him.

Courtroom Fees Gang Members

On January 30, 2024, Manchester Crown Courtroom handed down important jail sentences to the gang members concerned within the brutal kidnapping and extortion case.

Jonathan Newns, 24, acquired a 20-year sentence for tried theft, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and firearm possession.

David Povey, 34, was additionally sentenced to twenty years for theft, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.

Luke Johnson, 25, was given 13 years and 6 months for tried theft, false imprisonment, and kidnapping.

The case highlights the rising dangers confronted by cryptocurrency buyers, who’ve more and more develop into targets of violent crimes.

A current Chainalysis report revealed that ransomware gangs extorted over $1.1 billion in crypto funds in 2023 alone.

The assault additionally follows a disturbing development of kidnappings involving high-profile crypto figures.

On January 21, 2024, David Balland, co-founder of the Ledger {hardware} pockets firm, was kidnapped from his house in France.

He was held captive till police secured his launch the next day after his captors demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency.

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