Crypto Heist Gone Wrong: Ex-Cop and Gangster's Failed Plan

In a bizarre turn of events, a former Los Angeles police officer and a man with ties to organized crime allegedly staged a fake police raid to steal cryptocurrency from a teenager. The plot, which unfolded last December, involved a group of six men, including the former officer, Eric Halem, and Gabby Ben, a man with a history of fraud and deportations. The group targeted a 17-year-old cryptocurrency operator living in a luxury high-rise in Koreatown. Around 2 a. m. , they entered the victim's apartment, claiming to be police executing a search warrant. They restrained the victim's girlfriend and waited for him to return home. When he arrived, they handcuffed him and demanded access to his crypto wallet. The intruders threatened the teenager with violence, including shooting him in the foot and waterboarding him, to coerce him into revealing the code to a safe containing a crypto wallet worth $350, 000. Surveillance footage showed the group leaving the apartment about 25 minutes after they entered, leaving behind stacks of cash and Rolex watches. Prosecutors revealed these details during a bail hearing for Ben and Halem, both of whom have pleaded not guilty. Ben, wearing a yarmulke and a towel around his neck, shrugged off allegations of ties to the Israeli mafia. Halem, who served 13 years in the LAPD, had developed various side businesses before his arrest. Halem's attorney questioned the motive behind the alleged kidnapping, pointing out that the victim was a 17-year-old with a significant amount of cryptocurrency. She also argued that her client was in danger in jail due to his past as a police officer. However, the judge denied bail for both defendants, citing the severity of the charges and the potential risk to the community. Ben's attorney highlighted his client's legitimate business ventures and lack of violent convictions, but the judge remained unconvinced, emphasizing the troubling nature of the allegations. The search for a sixth suspect is still ongoing.