A Los Angeles County court has found former LAPD officer Eric Helium guilty of attacking a teenager’s home and stealing Bitcoin valued at approximately $350,000 in 2024. The two-week trial revealed that the 38-year-old Helium and three accomplices impersonated police officers to gain entry into a high-rise apartment in Koreatown. They restrained the 17-year-old boy and his girlfriend, forcibly taking a hard drive containing private keys to the Bitcoin. The victim testified that the assailants threatened to kill him if he did not surrender the hard drive. The attackers wore police-like jackets and used an access code obtained from a conspirator who rented the apartment to the boy. The early morning incident on December 28, 2024, involved handcuffing both victims. Helium, who served 13 years with the LAPD and resigned in 2022, was working as a reserve officer and engaged in luxury car rental and other ventures. The court swiftly convicted him on kidnapping and theft charges, with sentencing expected next month and the prosecution seeking life imprisonment. The prosecution argued that Helium violated his police oath and monitored police radio traffic after the theft. The defense criticized the investigative methods, claiming reliance on selective messages, while the victim admitted acquiring the Bitcoins through fraud. Additional charges against the suspects are pending, and they maintain their innocence. This case highlights the growing complexity of cryptocurrency-related crimes and the challenges in securing digital assets.
Source: bitcoinmagazine
