The Connecticut District Attorney's Office has charged three Missouri residents for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to steal Bitcoin in August 2024. According to the investigation, they planned to forcibly compel the victim to transfer cryptocurrency assets that had been previously stolen, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Accused Were Preparing for the Kidnapping
According to court documents, the accused are 32-year-old Cedric Lewis, 34-year-old John Davis, and 27-year-old Martel Williams from St. Louis. The investigation claims that between August 21 and 24, 2024, they arrived in Connecticut, where they:
- rented cars;
- purchased air rifles and radios;
- for two days, surveilled the main target and their parents.
According to the prosecution's version, the conspirators planned to break into the victim's home, threaten them, and force them to transfer the cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by the scheme's organizers.
However, fearing they had been captured on surveillance cameras and due to a lack of communication with accomplices, Lewis, Davis, and Williams left Connecticut without carrying out their plan.
Another Group Carried Out the Attack
As noted by law enforcement, soon after the accused departed, another group from Florida arrived in Connecticut and executed the plan.
On August 25, 2024, police in Danbury, Connecticut, detained six Florida residents after a violent carjacking, assault, and kidnapping of two individuals.
During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the victims were the parents of a person who had previously been involved in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin. It was these funds, according to the investigation's version, that the attack organizers were trying to obtain.
On May 22, 2026, a federal grand jury presented a second superseding indictment, charging the three Missouri residents with conspiracy to commit robbery under the Hobbs Act. The maximum penalty for this charge is up to 20 years in prison.
Lewis and Davis were arrested on June 25, 2026, and pleaded not guilty in court on July 30. Williams appeared in court on July 17, also pleaded not guilty, and was released on bail.
The prosecutor's office emphasized that an indictment is not proof of guilt, and all accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Recall that in July 2026, a Florida resident was arrested for distributing malware and stealing crypto assets.
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