A new development has emerged in a cryptocurrency kidnapping and robbery case in Minnesota, USA. Federal prosecutors say two brothers from Texas have pleaded guilty to robbery charges. The case involves approximately $8 million in cryptocurrency assets, and the victims, a family of three, were held at gunpoint for several hours.
Prosecutors say victims were forced to transfer their crypto assets.
According to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office, Isiah Angelo Garcia and Raymond Christian Garcia pleaded guilty on Thursday to "interfering with business by robbery," a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Court documents filed by prosecutors show that the two men traveled from Texas to Minnesota on September 19, 2025, to commit the crime. The victim, his wife, and son were held at gunpoint. Prosecutors allege that the perpetrators intended to obtain the victim's cryptocurrency assets.
The case details show that the victim's wife and son were held captive at home for approximately nine hours. The victim himself was taken to a family cabin about a three-hour drive from his residence and forced to transfer approximately $8 million in crypto assets from his online accounts and hardware wallet.
The case was exposed after the son called the police.
The case then took a turn. Prosecutors stated that the victim's son managed to make an emergency call, and Washington County Sheriff's officers responded to the scene. Law enforcement subsequently recovered a rifle and a shotgun.
Prosecutors also stated that investigators, combining surveillance footage and other evidence, linked the two brothers to the case. Under the plea agreement, the two admitted to threatening the victim with a firearm during the robbery.
The two defendants have also agreed to pay more than $8 million in restitution. Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.
Cases involving encrypted kidnapping continue to rise
This incident comes as offline attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders continue to rise in multiple countries. Similar cases have seen public developments in the US and France in recent months, with targets expanding from ordinary cryptocurrency holders to prominent figures in the industry.
Earlier this month, another crypto-related kidnapping case in Connecticut saw a plea development. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that defendant Saif Faiq pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges, in which prosecutors alleged he and accomplices planned to kidnap the parents of a crypto billionaire in connection with the theft of approximately 4,100 bitcoins.
In France, the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget was nearly kidnapped from her home in May. Local police stated that the suspect, posing as a deliveryman, entered the residence and attempted to forcibly take her to a car, but was stopped by neighbors.
French government officials stated in April that a prevention platform launched to address related risks had attracted thousands of registrations. Official statistics show that France recorded 41 kidnapping cases related to crypto assets in the first four months of 2026.
