Mastermind Behind $1.8 Million Heist Admits Stealing Crypto

One male from New Jersey recently admitted stealing cryptocurrency that was worth almost $2 million dollars using the most old-fashioned way – kidnapping people and issuing threats of violence.

Louis Mezza confessed in the Manhattan Supreme Court. He said that he kidnapped an unnamed friend and stole his Ether cryptocurrency holdings worth $1.8 million. Meza also admitted second-degree kidnapping and first-degree grand larceny. His sentencing is scheduled at the end of the month and the 35-year old mastermind is now expected to spend 10 years behind bars as well as 5 years of post-release supervision.

As the New York Post reported:

“Louis Meza orchestrated a 21st-century stick-up. Then 21st-century investigators brought him swiftly to justice, securing a landmark conviction in an undeveloped area of the law,”

However, Meza was not the sole mastermind of this heist. He was assisted by three co-defendants who all helped in the kidnapping of his friend’s cryptocurrency holdings.

Aside from the time that he will serve, Meza will also forfeit 84 Bitcoins and 269,000 SALT lending tokens.