TechFlow News, March 4: According to Decrypt, former Los Angeles Police Department officer Eric Hallum was convicted of kidnapping and robbery in connection with a home invasion case that occurred in 2024. Hallum and his accomplices posed as police officers, broke into the high-rise apartment of a 17-year-old boy, subdued him and his girlfriend, and threatened to shoot them unless they surrendered a hard drive containing $350,000 worth of Bitcoin.
This case represents the latest example of a “$5 wrench attack”—a term referring to violent coercion used to force victims to surrender cryptocurrency. According to research by blockchain security firm CertiK, violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders increased by 75% in 2025, resulting in losses exceeding $40.9 million.
Hallum faces life imprisonment; his co-defendant has not yet stood trial and maintains his innocence.
