Seven U.K. individuals sentenced to 76 years in crypto crime spree

A Manchester UK court sentenced seven people to 76 years in prison combined for kidnapping, assault and theft of £ 100,000 in cryptocurrency to a single victim.

The criminals, who carried out a series of violent actions against a Manchester resident, received various prison terms for their repeated offenses.

According to the Warrington Guardian, the gang began Targeting the victim in January 2023. During the first incident, Scott Armstrong, one of the seven, threatened the victim from his home and managed to extort an uncompromising quantity of cryptocurrency.

A month later, another member, David Povey, arrived armed with a weapon and demanded more digital assets. The victim respected, hoping to end the test, but the attacks continued.

Over time, crimes have gone from intimidation to abductions and torture in its own right. In one case, two individuals, Gary Edwards and Kane Godiff, removed the victim, transported him to a separate place, attached him and threatened to kill him if he did not make more cryptocurrency.

The situation reached its peak on November 30, 2023, when Edwards again kidnapped the victim and made new threats to his life. This time, an anonymous caller, probably a witness, interrupted the police on December 2.

Upon arrival, the police noted that a Karl Johnson had tried to escape the scene. The police found that the victim was retained, with several burns and injuries of several weapons. The police also found a firearm, live towers, strings, machetes and knives on site. “Can you take me with you?” The victim would have said to the police when he had been rescued.

Criminals stole a total of £ 100,000 ($ 124,000) in cryptocurrency. However, it is not known what specific digital assets have been taken or if the attackers tried to whiten the funds to hide their crimes.