- Three teenagers are accused of kidnapping a wealthy man to steal $4 million in cryptocurrency.
- The suspects allegedly held the victim at gunpoint, took him to a desert, and forced him to transfer digital assets.
- Authorities linked the suspects to the crime using vehicle tracking and social media evidence, and two will be tried as adults.
Authorities allege that three teenagers from Florida, including Austin Fletcher and Belal Ashraf, both 16, kidnapped a wealthy man last November in Las Vegas and forced him to hand over approximately $4 million in cryptocurrency. The victim, whose identity remains confidential, was reportedly taken at gunpoint to a remote area in Arizona, where he was threatened and compelled to provide his banking credentials.
According to court records and prosecutors, the teenagers ambushed the man after he hosted a cryptocurrency event in downtown Las Vegas. They allegedly covered his head with a towel and warned him not to look at them. During the ordeal, the victim was told via speakerphone that his father would be killed if he did not cooperate. “If he complied and handed over his digital assets, he would live to see another day,” prosecutors stated, as documented by 8NewsNow.
After the victim’s accounts were emptied, the suspects left him alone in the White Hills area of the Arizona desert, about an hour from Las Vegas. He walked for more than five miles before reaching a gas station to call for help. Investigators later connected the group to the crime through a vehicle that traveled from Florida to Nevada and visited locations tied to the victim. Police also cited a stop in Mississippi, where a gun belonging to one of the suspect’s family members was shown in a social media post.
A juvenile court judge ruled that Fletcher and Ashraf will face adult charges, including robbery, kidnapping, and extortion. The third suspect has not been publicly identified and is reportedly no longer in the United States; officials have not disclosed whether they know the individual’s whereabouts or plan to extradite them.
Additional court documents indicated the three teens attended high school together in Florida and had previous disciplinary issues. In one incident, they were reported for disruptive behavior involving school staff. In court, Fletcher received a $4 million bail, while Ashraf was released with electronic monitoring. Both are scheduled for their next court appearance in June.
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