The Abduction and Ransom Demand
In October, a Chicago family and their nanny were kidnapped and held for five days while the family was forced to transfer millions in cryptocurrency for their release. According to the recently unsealed FBI documents reported on February 12, six men-Zehuan Wei, Fan Zhang, Huajing Yan, Shengnan Jiang, Shiqiang Lian, and Ye Cao-are charged in connection with the crime.
During the incident, one of the suspects knocked on the family’s townhouse door, claiming he had damaged their garage. When the homeowner opened the door, armed men burst into the house and held the family hostage.
The victims were moved in a van to an Airbnb in Forest Park, where they spent the first night before being moved to a second house. The kidnappers demanded ransom payments through Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies, threatening to kill them otherwise. They also tapped into the victims’ crypto wallets and made unauthorized transactions.
Investigation and Key Evidence
One victim, who suspected the gun was fake, was struck on the head with it. He managed to send a WeChat message to his father to forewarn him of the situation.
After five days, the kidnappers released the victims on Nov. 1. Authorities later provided estimates that out of $15 million stolen, $9 million remain missing.
FBI agents tracked the suspects down with the help of surveillance footage, rental vehicle records, and forensic analysis. Security cameras at the Forest Park Airbnb recorded the arrival of the kidnappers in a white van, who made calls. The investigators matched the footages to the suspects through U.S. Customs and Border Protection records and driver’s licenses.
At least two victims picked out some of the suspects during a police photo lineup.
Arrest and International Flight
Wei was the first out of the group to be detained on January 17 at the border crossing Otay Mesa in California while attempting to re-enter the U.S. after flying back from Mexico.
On January 19, Jiang and Yan flew from Tijuana to Beijing, followed by Lian a day later. After Wei’s arrest, some suspects are believed to have fled to China.
All six men were formally charged with kidnapping on December 13.
Growing Trend of Crypto Kidnappings
As cryptocurrency grows, so does crypto-related crime. In January, David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, was actually kidnapped and held for ransom.
In November, WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka was abducted in Toronto and freed after a ransom payment of $1 million. His kidnappers mistakenly believed he held a large amount of Bitcoin.
Authorities have warned that crypto holders are now being targeted by organized crime.
