Family Kidnapped in $8 Million Cryptocurrency Robbery
Two Texas brothers admitted to an armed robbery that led to the theft of over $8 million in cryptocurrency.
Two brothers from Texas have pleaded guilty to taking part in an armed robbery targeting a Minnesota family, during which more than $8 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen. The pair now face up to 20 years in federal prison.
On June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced that 25-year-old Isiah Angelo Garcia and 24-year-old Raymond Christian Garcia had pleaded guilty to robbery charges. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to investigators, the brothers traveled from Texas to Minnesota in September 2025. On September 19, they forced their way into a family home in Grant, Minnesota, and demanded access to the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts at gunpoint.
Prosecutors said the attackers restrained the homeowner, his wife, and their son using zip ties and held them captive for more than eight hours while threatening them with firearms. Later, Isiah Garcia took the main victim to the family’s vacation property in northern Minnesota, where he forced him to hand over additional devices used to store cryptocurrency.
As a result, the criminals coerced the transfer of digital assets worth more than $8 million. As part of their plea agreement, they also admitted to using firearms during the robbery and agreed to return the stolen funds.
After one of the suspects left the house, the victim’s son managed to call 911. Responding officers found the woman and the boy still bound inside the residence. Investigators also recovered a partially disassembled AR-15-style rifle, ammunition, and other items near the scene.
Authorities quickly identified the suspects thanks to evidence left behind, including a Wendy’s restaurant receipt, rental car documents, motel records, and surveillance footage. The brothers were arrested in Texas on September 22, 2025.
The case highlights the growing trend of so-called “wrench attacks” — crimes in which cryptocurrency is stolen through physical violence, threats, kidnapping, or coercion rather than cyberattacks. Blockchain security firm CertiK recorded 34 confirmed cases worldwide between January and April 2026, with total losses estimated at around $101 million. Throughout 2025, there were 72 similar incidents reported globally, representing a 75% increase compared with the previous year.
