Three Florida Teenagers Charged With Kidnapping and Stealing $4M in Cryptocurrency and NFTs

Three Florida teenagers are reportedly facing charges of kidnapping and stealing $4 million in cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from a Las Vegas-based man.

Three Florida teenagers are reportedly facing charges of kidnapping and stealing $4 million in cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from a Las Vegas-based man.

The suspects have been identified as Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16 years old and residents of Pasco County, Florida, along with a third unnamed teenager.

According to court records, all three face charges including robbery, kidnapping, and extortion. A juvenile court judge has previously certified Ashraf and Fletcher to be tried as adults, given the severity of the alleged crimes.

During a probable cause hearing for Fletcher on May 9, a prosecutor revealed that the third teenager is no longer in the United States.

A local report states that sometime in November, the trio accosted the victim after he returned to his apartment complex following a cryptocurrency-related event he had hosted. The suspects allegedly forced the man into the back seat of their vehicle.

Court documents also detailed the threats made by the trio to coerce the victim into surrendering his digital funds.

“[The victim] was told if he complied, he would live to see another day, and if he did not comply, they had his dad and would kill him,” the court documents state.

In addition to the teenagers, local police suspect another individual was communicating with them during the incident.

The report also indicates that the teenagers drove the victim across the Nevada state line to White Hills, Arizona, where they dumped him. The freed victim then walked five miles before reaching a gas station, where he was able to contact a friend for help.

At the hearing, Fletcher’s public defender reportedly argued for house arrest, but Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Daniel Westmeyer set a high bail of $4 million. In a hearing for Ashraf three days earlier, his attorney also requested house arrest; however, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Noreen Demonte ordered Ashraf’s release with electronic monitoring.