Three Florida teens took crypto crime to a whole new level when they allegedly kidnapped a man at gunpoint in Las Vegas, forcing him to transfer $4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs. Two 16-year-olds, Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, face adult charges while their accomplice remains at large. After the heist, they abandoned their victim in the desert. Law enforcement was stunned by both the brazen crime and the suspects’ ages. This bizarre case reveals an unsettling trend where digital assets meet real-world violence.
While most teenagers spend their time playing video games or scrolling TikTok, three Florida teens allegedly chose a different path: kidnapping a man at gunpoint in Las Vegas and stealing $4 million in cryptocurrency.
Two of the suspects, Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16, are facing adult charges for their roles in the brazen heist. Their partner in crime? Still at large, probably sipping coconuts on a beach somewhere after fleeing the country. The case is just one example of rising cryptocurrency crime across the nation.
The victim’s ordeal reads like a Hollywood script gone wrong. Snatched from his Las Vegas apartment complex, he was driven to White Hills, a desolate stretch of desert about an hour from the bright lights of Sin City. There, the teens allegedly forced him to transfer approximately $4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs. Talk about a rough night in Vegas.
Desert kidnapping meets crypto heist as teens force victim to transfer millions in digital assets during a nightmare Vegas night.
The teens’ master plan had one major flaw: they left their victim alive in the middle of nowhere. The man had to walk five miles through the desert to find help. Not exactly the evening stroll anyone plans for. With illicit crypto activity reaching $20.1 billion in 2022, such violent incidents are becoming more common.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT stepped in to assist, managing to freeze over $200,000 of the stolen assets. Meanwhile, the justice system isn’t playing around – Fletcher’s bail was set at a whopping $4 million, matching the amount allegedly stolen.
The case has left law enforcement stunned. These aren’t your typical teenage troublemakers stealing candy from convenience stores. The court certified them as adults for their upcoming trial. The charges are serious: kidnapping, robbery, and extortion. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for June, where Ashraf and Fletcher will face the music as adults.
The incident has sent shockwaves through both the Las Vegas community and the cryptocurrency world, highlighting the increasingly bizarre intersection of digital assets and real-world crime. Who needs complicated hacking schemes when you can just point a gun at someone’s head?
For the Pasco County, Florida teens, their desert adventure might end with a very long stay in a place far less pleasant than Las Vegas. And definitely no cryptocurrency allowed.
