Three Tennessee Men Indicted On Robbery, Kidnapping, And Conspiracy Charges

[_act_]

There are wrench attacks that we do not know that is happening in United States until the suspects are arrested. I think someone posted one few weeks ago and this is another one.

According to the indictment filed March 31, 2026, Armstrong, 21, of Tennessee; Chindavanh, 21, of Tennessee; and Rucker, 25, of Tennessee, are alleged to have conspired to kidnap and rob individuals in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles in efforts to steal cryptocurrency from the victims. The three conspired to kidnap and rob individuals in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles in efforts to steal cryptocurrency from the victims. 

The defendants traveled from Tennessee to commit the alleged crimes and posed as delivery persons to gain access or attempt to gain access to the victims’ residences.  They then used firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to assault their victims, including by binding and restraining a victim in order to force him to divulge his account information.  In one of the incidents perpetrated by the conspiracy, the victim was forced at gunpoint to sign into his cryptocurrency accounts so that a co-conspirator could transfer approximately $6.5 million from his cryptocurrency accounts to a wallet controlled by the co-conspirators.

If you want to read more about the it: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/three-tennessee-men-indicted-robbery-kidnapping-and-conspiracy-charges-related-6

If you can remember, Tennessee was the second state in United that banned bitcoin and other crypto ATMs

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

[Hazink]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

I'm beginning to agree with the statement I read on this forum where a user suggested everyone should have a gun in their home because it's really getting risky every day with these criminals who don't have human dignity in them, and when you do not place an order for anything, it's right you avoid opening door for anyone who poses to be a delivery guy anyone who want to send something of surprise should send it to logistics office for pick it's safer that way.

[Mhizlove]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

I'm beginning to agree with the statement I read on this forum where a user suggested everyone should have a gun in their home because it's really getting risky every day with these criminals who don't have human dignity in them, and when you do not place an order for anything, it's right you avoid opening door for anyone who poses to be a delivery guy anyone who want to send something of surprise should send it to logistics office for pick it's safer that way.

I understand that it's fear that makes people to this unlike this because the security issue has made a lot of people to be extra careful, but to say that everyone is suppose to own a gun their houses is not the only solution and sometimes it can even create more danger if it ends up on the wrong hands or there is some sort of mistake happens. What will be more helpful is to work more on our basic safety behaviour like you said, don't get the door for strangers, make confirmation on deliveries and make sure neighbors are aware of each other because with simple caution like this you can prevent alot of problems without adding anything risky to your home

[EarnOnVictor]

Such young lads that were supposed to be doing something meaningful with their lives!

Well, what I learned again here, that many people have been preaching against is: 1. Make our crypto property public, and 2. Having our wallets or any crypto identities on our phones or where they could be easily found and linked to us.

Imagine how it would be easy to prevent the multimillion crypto theft if the guy only had $1,000 or so in that wallet.

[_act_]

Imagine how it would be easy to prevent the multimillion crypto theft if the guy only had $1,000 or so in that wallet.

It is also good to have many wallets, but according to the news, they said cryptocurrency account, that make me think probably it is an exchange. I can not have such huge amount on an exchange. If it is wallets, having a wallet with small amount of money will be better. While huge amount should be well protected, but some people will think something like theft will not happen until it is too late.

[Die_empty]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

Delivery services would always have access to us since we would always order something. Maybe we should start receiving packages in public areas. These criminals could also track people at businesses that accept Bitcoin. There is a popular belief in my location that anyone who owns Bitcoin is rich. These evil people might hand out at these locations to identify crypto users. I might also not be surprised that some centralised platforms might be mismanaging people's information.

[hd49728]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

It's another case to be added to https://stats.gart.io/

Warnings are a lot, it's just whether people take these warnings for their privacy protection.

I'm beginning to agree with the statement I read on this forum where a user suggested everyone should have a gun in their home

Depends on your national policy and regulation on gun, it might be possible or not possible to own gun individually. If your government does not allow gun ownership, you will have severe legal issue with guns at home. This advice is not realistic for doing with many people, so I'd like to ignore it by myself and don't recommend similarly to anyone else.

[Razmirraz]

Imagine how it would be easy to prevent the multimillion crypto theft if the guy only had $1,000 or so in that wallet.

It is also good to have many wallets, but according to the news, they said cryptocurrency account, that make me think probably it is an exchange. I can not have such huge amount on an exchange. If it is wallets, having a wallet with small amount of money will be better. While huge amount should be well protected, but some people will think something like theft will not happen until it is too late.

I think the unlucky guy has been in the Crypto field for a long time because the figure of $6.5 million is too much for a beginner. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, this is the best strategy to prevent the dark side that the man experienced, for example, if you have assets of $1000, it is better to store them in three or four different wallets (multisig/cold wallet).

If the assumption (according to the news) is that the cryptocurrency account is directed to the exchange, then he has made a big mistake by storing all the assets there. Ideally, he should keep a small amount of assets on the Exchange, so that if such a case occurs, he will not lose all his assets. News like this can be a valuable lesson for those who have been ignoring privacy. This case also proves why there are exceptions to the saying "not your keys, not your coins." At certain times, "your keys, your problem" can happen if you are unable to maintain your privacy safely.

[Sammysmart001]

This a very scary attack here. Allot of us don’t really come to think of physical security until it pass that it late already.

Main deal
In no way should you share your seed phrase, even if a best friend. Learning out to keep ur mouth shout mostly around people or outside, not in any way should one talk about is crypto holdings outside not even with friends or family.

Passphrase together with hardware wallet they help allot.

Most importantly in our country for ur own safety to avoid being robbed or kidnapped. So I will love to ask about this delivery men of a thing how do we verify them before letting them in.

[Patikno]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

"Poor privacy" practices can lead to direct (physical) attacks and online (cyber) attacks. While financial losses from these attacks may be manageable, but physical losses are devastating, and can even lead to life-threatening, or death. So, protect your privacy just as you would protect yourself from anything that could threaten your life. Don't take your privacy for granted, because in this day; "PERSONAL DATA" is one of the most important things to protect.

Personally, I believe "platforms", or "social media", are often gateways to "information leaks". Therefore, I advise everyone (including myself) to avoid being too open on social media regarding personal information. Essentially, you must protect your privacy to avoid any potential abuse by criminals, and this is what the OP is referring to.

[SatoPrincess]

I’m wondering how these people information got leaked? Did they post about their crypto portfolio on social media? Getting the home addresses would not have been so difficult since people feel super comfortable sharing personal information online.
Often times, we talk a lot about wallet security and storage but I think we need to have more conversations about privacy and keeping your business off social media (which many of us would agree is common sense btw)

[bitbollo]

I’m wondering how these people information got leaked? Did they post about their crypto portfolio on social media?
...

I would not point just on social media.
These are really huge sums involved, and it should be not easily (by law) accessing to such data.

https://tg24.sky.it/cronaca/2026/05/13/poliziotti-dati-imprenditori-vip-arresti-napoli
Here one example directly from Italy... but there is another similar from France...
Unfortunately most of these information could be accessed easily by third part, even legally... or without any real risk.  

[Marykeller]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

Delivery services would always have access to us since we would always order something. Maybe we should start receiving packages in public areas. These criminals could also track people at businesses that accept Bitcoin. There is a popular belief in my location that anyone who owns Bitcoin is rich. These evil people might hand out at these locations to identify crypto users. I might also not be surprised that some centralised platforms might be mismanaging people's information.

This is what I suspect, an insider in a centralized exchange letting out people's identities that owes a big amount on their exchange to criminals they know of, at the end of the hit(stealing) they share what they stole.

It's like, this is what's been going on recently, since people have learnt not to broadcast their crypto wealth on social media or with friends. Then what about knowing what amount of crypto investors owe through the crypto exchange insider will be given out? This is what I think all these crypto criminals are up to currently

I think, it is in this forum that I read about an insider of an exchange disclosing people's ID who have big money in their exchange.

[PrivacyG]

Was this particular robbery not discussed before on Bitcoin Talk?  I am having a deja vu.

When you read such news.  Knowing your self to be a super paranoid is absolutely relieving.  At such large sums you wonder if the victim had a Passphrase to protect their wallets.  At over five million Dollars, I would imagine the best security on top of not having any body know how much I am worth and where my Assets are stored.  But then you imagine someone pointing a real gun at your head and you wonder.  Would you give your millions up and live or would you give your life up.  And I am guessing we know the answer most of us would have.

[hd49728]

Was this particular robbery not discussed before on Bitcoin Talk?  I am having a deja vu.

When you read such news.  Knowing your self to be a super paranoid is absolutely relieving.  At such large sums you wonder if the victim had a Passphrase to protect their wallets.  At over five million Dollars, I would imagine the best security on top of not having any body know how much I am worth and where my Assets are stored.  But then you imagine someone pointing a real gun at your head and you wonder.  Would you give your millions up and live or would you give your life up.  And I am guessing we know the answer most of us would have.

Maintain privacy is most important thing to do and it's a best prevention as well as protection for your bitcoin and your life too. It's always too late to do anything if you are under attacks, arrested, and at the verge of being murdered. At such point of time, the most important concern for you is your life, not your bitcoin, so you will likely have to give all necessary information for attackers to get your bitcoin with hope that they will let you alive after stealing your coin. Even so, your hope might never become true, and likely you will lose both your coins and life.

How to manage bitcoin like a whale with enough attention on privacy protection.

[Hewlet]

Privacy is important and people should be very careful of wrench attack, especially when they are at home. The attack can be from someone you think is a delivery guy.

I'm beginning to agree with the statement I read on this forum where a user suggested everyone should have a gun in their home because it's really getting risky every day with these criminals who don't have human dignity in them, and when you do not place an order for anything, it's right you avoid opening door for anyone who poses to be a delivery guy anyone who want to send something of surprise should send it to logistics office for pick it's safer that way.

Unfortunately, there are still a section of the society where fire arms is prohibited to be used by regular dudes and so, you can't even talk about proper self defense in such location.

As much as you're able to, don't expose yourself to the public and give them the slightest idea that you're holding a certain worth of crypto. If you're targeted, even with your fire arms, you're still not safe. Theft is on the increase and with the economy getting extremely bad, you can't afford to expose yourself to the public and risk being attacked.